Students at four Somerset County schools enjoy first Life Skills Easter Egg Hunt
WINDBER ― Life skills students from Somerset and Cambria counties enjoyed collecting Easter eggs, eating food, making crafts and doing other activities at the first Life Skills Easter Egg Hunt, held Tuesday at the Windber Area School District's football stadium.
The 164 students who participated were from kindergarten to 21 years of age and attend life skills classes at eight local school districts, including Windber, Somerset, North Star and Conemaugh Township, said Korie Duryea, director of special education at Windber.
'A darn good view': Where and how to safely watch the April 8 total solar eclipse in Somerset County
Over 7,000 plastic Easter eggs were placed around the football field for the students to collect, and there were sensory bins, arts and crafts, pizza and cupcakes for the group to enjoy, as well as a personal visit from the Easter Bunny.
Windber Area middle and high school student council members also helped with the day’s activities, Duryea said.
“It was great, the kids were so excited and the smiles on the kids’ faces were worth it,” she said about the event.
“The life skills kids had a great time, and it was a great inclusion event for (the student council members) to be part of as well.”
On the road again: Here's where road work will start along Route 403 on April 1
Community support made event happen
Duryea and Windber life skills teachers Kristen Butler, Megan Reitz and Dannah Robosson organized the event for the students.
“We wanted to bring the (life skills) community together and have fun activities for the kids to do,” Duryea said.
The organizers shared their idea on Facebook about a month ago, asking for contributions from residents of the two counties to help make the event successful.
The community responded in a big way, Duryea said, donating plastic eggs, candy and sensory items to put inside the eggs, cash donations, cupcakes and beverages. The Somerset School District and Conemaugh Township Area School District’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) club were among those that contributed to the event.
Final Easter activities: Easter activities in Somerset County in 2024
“People chipped in and donated,” Duryea said. “We were able to use the donations to provide for the event.”
Duryea said the event was such a success that the teachers plan to hold another Live Skills Easter Egg Hunt next year.
“It was a great day, a lot of fun,” she said.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Windber Area School District hosts area's first Life Skills Easter Egg Hunt
