Galewood Park’s first-ever Easter egg hunt on March 24 turned out to be cloudier and colder than the organizers hoped, but that didn’t stop families from enjoying themselves. According to Richard Davis, the president of the Galewood Park Advisory Council, a total of 100 people of all ages showed up.
There was a smaller egg patch for younger kids while older kids looked for eggs throughout the entire park. Children also got a chance to decorate egg baskets, have their faces painted and listen to stories.
The Easter egg hunt was just one of the many ways the advisory council is trying to promote the park and expand its programs.
The staff and the advisory council are looking to hold more outdoor events during the summer. They are also trying to put together a teen advisory council to get ideas from local youth.
Monikue Young-Johnson, the park’s supervisor, explained that, while park officials are trying to be as efficient with their existing space, she and her staff want more room for activities. The advisory council was revived last October to help expand the park’s program offerings and enhance its community outreach.
The advisory council reached out to state Rep. Camille Lilly (78th), Ald. Chris Taliaferro (29th) and the 25th District police — all of whom attended the event.
“Everybody was engaged, everybody was having fun,” said Young-Johnson. “We were bringing the community together, all kind of diverse people, and that’s what [overshadowed] the coldness.”
As the summer draws near, the advisory council is trying to put together even more activities, she added.
“We’re going to be doing Stories in the Park,” Davis said. “We’re going to be having movie nights for the community that we’ll be getting through the Chicago Park District’s Movies in the Parks program. And we want more family-involved programs and activities to bring more people into the park.”
Young-Johnson said that the park will be having a Taste of Galewood event on Aug. 25 to mark the end of summer.
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