American Legion post, auxiliary celebrate Easter with elementary school students
Published 12:00 am Friday, April 19, 2019
Magician Glen Yost celebrates a completed trick with the help of his two assistants, Pharris Makroum and Isaiah Evans. Jon C. Lakey/Salisbury Post
Larry and Yvonne Breitwieser hand out cups of ice cream. Jon C. Lakey/Salisbury Post
Members of the Harold B. Jarrett American Legion Post 342 in Salisbury hosted a Easter Party for schoolchildren on Thursday. Jon C. Lakey/Salisbury Post
Students take off at the start of the egg hunt. Jon C. Lakey/Salisbury Post
Students count the eggs they collected. Jon C. Lakey/Salisbury Post
North Rowan Elementary School student Justin Reliford hunts for Easter eggs Thursday at Harold B. Jarrett American Legion Post 342 in Salisbury. Jon C. Lakey/Salisbury Post
SALISBURY — None of the kids noticed, but Wayne Kennerly walked through the Harold B. Jarrett American Legion Post meeting hall with a box full of things the students would be desperate to find after lunch.
“Egg man,” Kennerly said to a couple of fellow veterans as he headed for the door.
Once outside, Kennerly, Megan Morris and Larry Breitwieser scattered about 400 brightly colored Easter eggs in the back and side yards of the Post 342 building.
The eggs were there for the picking when waves of children — 87, to be precise — raced to the grass and filled their buckets.
Young Luis Navaphachco of Millbridge Elementary School returned to the meeting hall with the most eggs, 36, and he was given first chance to select a prize from the stage.
The line of toys on stage included stuffed toys, plastic sabres, flying discs, metal cars, silly string and sand buckets, and each child was able to make a selection.
The students also returned to school with Chick-fil-A gift bags, which included a gift card and miniature cow from the restaurant, along with a coloring book and crayons.
In addition, the children were able to visit with the Chick-fil-A cow mascot.
The Jarrett Post and its women’s auxiliary hold Christmas and Easter parties each year for children with special needs. Six elementary schools were represented Thursday — Overton, Hurley, North Rowan, Millbridge, Hanford Dole and Bostian.
“I’ve got aches and pains,” Kennerly said, ” but I don’t complain when I leave here.”
The day also included a lunch, supervised by Harry Agner, that offered a hot dog with all the fixings, potato chips, a drink and chocolate or vanilla ice cream.
Magician Glen Yost (“Magic by Glen”) provided the pre-lunch entertainment.
About 20 to 25 Legion and auxiliary members helped with Thursday’s celebration, which also fed the teachers and parents attending.
Once again, Harry Garwood and Penny Sides were the organizers.
Kennerly said the next thing up on the Harold B. Jarrett Post’s agenda is making pancakes on Memorial Day for folks who place flags on markers at Salisbury National Cemetery.
Contact Mark Wineka at 704-797-4263.
