Easter Bunny is Coming to Jenks

There will be many Easter customs repeated this month… including an egg roll on the White House lawn and an Easter egg hunt in Jenks, Oklahoma.

There will be many Easter customs repeated this month… including an egg roll on the White House lawn and an Easter egg hunt in Jenks, Oklahoma. Youngsters from toddlers to 5th grade are welcome to attend and keep the fun going. Tradition says that Easter egg hunts date back to medieval Europe, where eggs were forbidden during Lent. Eggs gathered during that time were preserved by boiling and eaten as a mainstay of Easter meals, and were given as gifts to children and servants. Some eggs were decorated and hidden as a children’s game. Today’s little ones still appreciate a good Easter egg hunt and that opportunity will come on Saturday, March 22nd.

Pastor Harold Phillips of River Oaks Christian Church says the Easter egg hunt has become a town favorite over the years. “I inherited the hunt from Phil and Cathy Meeker who had previously sponsored it through the Jenks Chamber of Commerce. The Jenks Ministerial Alliance began sponsoring it about 10 years ago and I really look forward to it every year.”

River Oaks Christian Church, Life Connection Church and Jenks Church actually set up the egg hunts but Phillips said there are many other churches involved financially. “We start getting checks every year from many area churches and we also have corporations who contribute to help pay for the eggs and the prizes for each age category. It’s a real group effort and we so appreciate the support we get from the Jenks community.”

There will actually be three hunts because the children will be divided into age-specific groups. Children ages 5 and under will hunt from 10 a.m. – 10:20 a.m., those in Kindergarten through 2nd grade will hunt from 10:25 a.m. – 10:40 a.m. and those children in 3rd through 5th grade will participate in the final hunt from 10:45 a.m. to 11 a.m. With a total of 6,000 eggs between the three categories, no one should go home empty-handed. Several eggs in each hunt will hold tickets for special prizes along with the candy or toy inside.

The Resurrection Story will be shared in an age-appropriate format with each group before the eggs are gathered. Pastor Phillips said he has been honored to share the true meaning of Easter with the children in the past and it is always a blessing.

One unique feature of the Jenks hunt is the eggs themselves. Pastor Phillips said that he is often asked why the tops and bottoms of the eggs are different colors. It always makes him smile. “We buy our eggs from a company in Marshfield, Missouri that employs mentally-handicapped workers. They fill the eggs and they rarely go back together with the same color, it just makes them all the more special.” The workers at the Missouri business, National Entertainment Technologies Incorporated are able to earn money by filling eggs with a small toy or piece of candy and it benefits everyone involved.

The event will take place at Hunter-Dwelley Stadium on the central campus of Jenks Public Schools at the intersection of 2nd Street and “B” Street. This is where the Jenks Trojans play home football games on Friday nights. Parking is available adjacent to the First Baptist Church and you can enter the field through the southwest gate on “B” street.

Parents are encouraged to bring their children and their Easter baskets and join the community for this morning of fun and faith on March 22nd.

For more information, contact

Pastor Harold Phillips

River Oaks Christian Church

(918) 299-3366