‘The candy went fast’

• Easter hug

Jaden Lurz, 2, of Mitchell, gives the Easter Bunny a tentative hug at the Easter Candy Scramble. (Ross Dolan/Republic)
• Easter Scramble

Jessilynne Olson, 5, of Sioux Falls targets her candy in the midst of chaos at Saturday’s Easter Candy Scramble in Mitchell. Children from more than 300 families participated in the popular event. About 30,000 pieces of candy disappeared in less than 10 minutes. (Ross Dolan/Republic)
• Easter crowd

Kids wait for their numbers to be called to claim a toy prize of their choice on Saturday inside the Mitchell Moose Lodge following the candy scramble. (Ross Dolan/Republic)

Talk about it

If Saturday’s Easter Candy Scramble at Mitchell Moose Lodge No. 875 was any indicator, kids from several hundred area families got a six-month jump on their trick-or-treat sugar highs.

Children began arriving an hour before the popular annual event — bearing buckets, shopping bags and a competitive glint in their eyes. The scramble was sponsored by the Women of the Moose, women of the American Legion Auxiliary, and Domino’s Pizza.

“We were searching about town and this is the only place we could find the Easter Bunny,” Kelly Carpenter of Mentor, Ohio, said with her tongue firmly in cheek. She and her husband William were in town visiting relatives for Easter. In addition to her own four children, she brought relatives Joseph Majercik and Elizabeth Minden — both of Mitchell — to the event.

Indeed the Easter Bunny, carrot in paw, was present, obligingly offering impromptu photo ops to delighted children and parents.

“We handed out at least 300 door prize numbers, but we needed to add even more numbers,” said Domino’s owner Bill Oakley.

Each number guaranteed the holder would end up with a free toy after the candy scramble, which was held outdoors in sunny but windy weather conditions.

The main event was a dash for 30,000 pieces of candy that were sown across the rear lawn of the Moose Lodge by volunteers.

Two participant circles were created, one for older kids and a smaller one for pre-schoolers, lest the tots get trampled in the commotion.

With the candy strewn across the grass, tension grew.

“Mommy, look,” said one child as she pointed across the circle to pint-sized pirates who were illegally scarfing up lollipops that had fallen on the fringes.

With that, Oakley’s well-meaning countdown crumbled and the melee was on.

Ten minutes later, except for a few rocks, the ground was bare and kids began heading inside for their second round of loot.

Mason Schoenfelder, 8, of Mitchell, proudly carried a Dubble Bubble bubblegum bucket half-filled with Tootsie Rolls, lollipops, wrapped candies and errant pieces of dead grass.

The hubbub and resulting smiles were all immensely satisfying for Oakley, now in his 12th year as an event sponsor. He shook his head and said, “That candy sure went fast.”

Tags: life, updates, easter, local, mitchell, candy, children