The children of Blackfalds were treated to a series of exciting Easter activities on Saturday afternoon on April 13th.

“It’s a town event put on by our Blackfalds FCSS group. It’s a free event and we are doing a charity barbeque with Big Brothers and Big Sisters to support them as well,” explained Jill Spiess, events programmer for the town of Blackfalds.

Kids had the opportunity to meet and take pictures with the Easter bunny, make crafts, do puzzles and play games at the Blackfalds community centre.

Blackfalds has put on the Easter celebrations for about five years now and every year it’s been a real hit with the kids.

“It’s actually not a hunt this year we have twelve different activities that all the kids can come and enjoy, then they get to enter to win some prizes, and there is chocolate, of course,” added Spiess.

While the kids were engulfed in their activities outside volunteers, as well as program organizers of Big Brothers and Big Sister were busy grilling away burgers and trying to get the word out that the program serves Blackfalds as well as many other surrounding communities.

“It’s one on one mentoring to help the child succeed and if they’re struggling, it’s to help provide them with someone they can count on and trust. We have two programs, we have our in-school mentoring as well as our traditionally mentoring,” explained Bailee Wigmore, a rural caseworker for Big Brothers and Big Sisters Lacombe.

Anyone over the age of sixteen can become a mentor to a youth. Many of the relationships made in the program are everlasting and more recently, Big Brothers and Big Sisters have celebrated a 40-year-old mentorship.

The pairing of Easter celebrations with Big Brothers and Big Sisters was very natural and smiles were seen both with the kids visiting the Easter bunny and from behind the grill.

For more information on Big Brothers and Big Sisters Lacombe district, click here.