The Menlo Park Easter Egg Hunt

The Menlo Park Easter Egg Hunt is a joint venture between the Menlo Park Firefighters’ Association and the City of Menlo Park.  The Easter Egg Hunt was originally put together as a way to give back to the Community that is always so generous during the Firefighter’s Annual Toy Drive.  The idea was brought to the Association Board in 1987 by, then President of the Board, Don Overacker who had witnessed a similar event in Redwood City.  His idea was simple, provide some Easter Eggs, a little candy, and a Chocolate Bunny for every boy and girl who showed up to Burgess Park on the Saturday before Easter Sunday.  

Together with Association Members Ray Able, James Lichtenstein, Dave Hitchcock and a host of volunteers from the firehouse, Don Overacker put together a plan to bring a few hundred kids together at Burgess Park for a few hours the Saturday before Easter Sunday.  He presented his idea to the City of Menlo Parks Recreations Department and they jumped on the opportunity, it was a natural fit.  The Firefighters would provide the Candy and the City Recreations Dept. would provide the Eggs.  And to the great surprise of many, James Lichtenstein volunteered to provide the Easter Bunny!

The first Easter Egg Hunt was held near the Burgess Pool, primarily because it provided a fenced in area that they could use to provide security and control to an event that could easily become chaotic.  The biggest problem with the pool area was the pool itself.  Apparently some moms and dads don’t like turning their precious little ones over to a hand full of Firefighters who are letting them run helter-skelter around the pool.  Needless to say the next year, and almost every year after that, the event has been held on the baseball fields of Burgess Park.

The baseball fields allowed the event to grow, our Antique Fire Apparatus, Old Tom, could drive right out on the field to drop off the Easter Bunny, craft tables could be added, people had room to relax and soak up the warm spring sunshine.  Over the years the event has provided for train rides, bounce houses, petting zoos, Antique Fire Apparatus rides, face painting, Bunny shows, magic shows, and a plethora of other fun and exciting events.  With the wisdom and financial savvy of Dave Hitchcock a Hot Dog stand was added.  The ability to sell hot dogs and sodas allowed the event to grow even more as the money could be used to offset the costs associated with such an event.  And it gave families a place to go for a cold drink and something besides candy to eat. 

Dave’s Hot Dog stand eventually became quite a production; it was the heart of the event.  It was where every volunteer wanted to be, because it was fun.  Firefighters teased and joked with each other, the kids and their parents flocked to the stand by the hundreds to get an affordable lunch, and Dave could be heard from all over the park yelling at his workers “TWO DOGS AND A SODA”, “WE NEED MORE BUNS”, and “NO, YOU CAN”T HAVE A FREE HOT DOG!”.  Selling hot dogs and soda was a great idea, since there was no charge for admission the Easter Egg Hunt was free to all who came, but for those who had the means and who wanted to support the event financially there was food.

Like other Association functions our members who started the program eventually retired and the different tasks related to the event were passed off to new members.  The first of our Association Legends that retired was Don Overacker, when he retired he wanted to pass the event off to someone special and he found that person in 2002 when the passed the event off to Rob Johnson.  When Jim Lichtenstein, our member who always provided the Easter Bunny, retired in 2005 is was fitting that he passed the torch to Joey Quadt.  This was fitting because Joey’s father John Quadt was a member of our Association and there are plenty of photos of Joey sitting on the Easter Bunny’s lap.  The last Association Icon of the Egg Hunt to retire was Dave Hitchcock.  His personality was so big that it has taken two members to successfully run hot the hot dog sales for the event, Chris Pimentel and Ken Babcock.

It is important to realize that to this day the Menlo Park Easter Egg Hunt has only been successful since it has been a joint venture of the Menlo Park Firefighter Association and the City of Menlo Park Recreational Services Department. 

This year we look forward to the Egg Hunt on Saturday April 11th from 10:00 to 12:00, at Menlo Park Burgess Park.  Just like always, the Easter Egg Bunny will be arriving on our Antique Fire Truck, Old Tom, and bounce houses, Antique Fire Apparatus rides, face painting, Bunny shows, magic shows, the egg hunt, hot dog sales and a plethora of other fun and exciting events will be available.  We hope to see you and you family there.