How do you make nearly 6,000 Easter eggs disappear in a few minutes?

Parents and organizers found out how Saturday at the city's fourth annual Spring Eggstravaganza and Egg Hunt, where hundreds of prize-hungry kids spilled into a confined are to gather up the oval containers.

Up to 300 kids hunted all at once during each of three scheduled hunts, but the odds of winning a prize were pretty high, said Rudy Gutierrez, an organizer with the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department.

“Everybody gets something,” he said, referring to the several hundred prizes from food coupons to toys, all of which were donated by local businesses and other supporters.

Among the major sponsors were Marian Medical Center and Comcast Cable, Gutierrez said.

An estimated 2,000 people attended the family event - this year it was at the Rotary Centennial Park, 2625 South College Drive - raising funds for the city's youth programs, Gutierrez said.

Attendees from toddlers to teens to adults filled the park to enjoy not only the egg hunts but also carnival games, pony rides, arts and crafts tables, and a magic show.

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But the real magic was in how quickly a wave of kids and their parents swarmed over the eggs that were hidden in a golden bed of hay.

“I've never seen anything like that,” said Gilbert Diaz of Santa Maria.

It was his first time bringing his 8-year-old son, Carlos, to the hunt, but Diaz didn't seem worried about his son getting stepped on.

In efforts to keep kids safe, organizers split the arena into three sections for the different age groups - 3 to 5 years old, 6 to 8, and 9 to 12. Overall, Diaz said, it was well organized.

In the end, few eggs would be spared from being taken in a basket.

And it's almost certain the hunters went home tired, which Diaz said is fine with him.

“It lets us parents rest for the day,” he said.

Luis Ernesto Gomez can be reached at 739-2218, or lgomez@santamariatimes.com.

April 1, 2007