By Lindsey Baxter | [email protected]

The weather is starting to warm up, kids want to be outside, and the vaccine is out. But is the world back to normal or has our world maybe shifted a little? One neighborhood in the heart of Millcreek started to create new traditions within the world of today.

Katy Ramsay, who has lived in her Millcreek neighborhood for 11 years, created a large-scale Easter Egg Hunt for her neighborhood in 2020 when their neighborhood, church, and community could not continue their normal traditions because of COVID-19. “I started the egg hunt last year as a way to let the neighborhood kids have something safe and fun to do during the pandemic,” Ramsay said.

“This year, the local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints ward used some of their activity budget to purchase more eggs and treats to hand out to anyone who wanted to participate,” she added. “This made it a much larger egg hunt and more fun for everyone.”

Abbie Olson, a neighbor whose lived there for 6 years, is happy to see a tradition like this continue. “I love all the different traditions that the neighborhood and ward do. It is such a fun and inclusive group of people where everyone is welcome and kind to each other. This has been such a fun night with all the eggs all over the neighborhood, my kids are having a blast. I hope this is a tradition that sticks around.”

It wasn’t just adults who enjoyed the festivities too.

Violet, 7-years old, said “I like this a lot. I get to walk around with my friends and find the eggs it’s even better than Halloween.” Millie, 4-years old, said “I love it!” When asked what her favorite thing about the Easter Egg Hunt was, she excitedly screamed “THE CANDY!”

Ramsay received positive feedback from the neighbors and kids she spoke to and they all said how fun it was. She was happy to see her kids come home with their Easter baskets full of yummy treats and fun little prizes.

As the Easter Egg hunt has grown over its two years, is this a new tradition that is going to stick around? “I hope so,” Ramsay said. “There are so many people in our neighborhood that are always looking for ways to help bring neighbors together.”

Ramsay has a few suggestions if you want to start building your community stronger in your neighborhood. 

“We do an awesome job at watching out for our neighbors,” she said. “For our widows and widowers, there is no better place to live. So many families make sure their driveways are cleared of snow and they deliver home cooked meals several times each week. Every year, we do a leaf clean up where we invite anyone willing to help rake the leaves of our neighbors that need the extra help. Each summer, we celebrate the end of summer with our neighborhood Summer Bash complete with a magician, bounce houses, cotton candy, face painting, snow cones, and carnival games. There’s truly no better neighborhood to be.”