Saint Mary’s to hold Easter egg hunt

By Aaron Henry

Cardinal Staff

As the Saint Mary’s University community enters the Lenten season and looks forward to Easter, a new tradition may arise.

For the first time in its history, SMU will host an Easter egg hunt for children of the Winona community on Palm Sunday, April 1, in Mary’s Hall Park or the Gostomski Fieldhouse if it rains. The event will begin with games at 1 p.m. while the Easter Egg Hunt itself starts at 2 p.m.

Inspired by the annual Halloween event that takes place every fall, a few students and Residence Life staff members decided to extend the tradition of community outreach and plan an event for the spring. Juniors Julianne Bartosz, Riley Sinn and Meghan Campbell are working with Nikki Hodous, the director of residence life, and Marc Hartmann, hall director in Benilde, Yon’s and Gilmore residence halls, to make the event a success.

Every year for more than 10 years, the Office of Residence Life at SMU has welcomed families of staff and faculty members and the families in the surrounding community to the campus to partake in an annual Halloween event. The participants play games and go trick-or-treating in residence halls.

“It is always a huge success and a great way to encourage community involvement at the university,” said Bartosz.

She said she hopes that the Easter egg hunt will be equally well-attended.

“I am a little surprised that Saint Mary’s has never had an Easter egg hunt for the community before,” she said. “But I am very excited to have the opportunity to help organize it. I believe that this has the potential to become a great new tradition here at Saint Mary’s.”

The Easter event is still in the planning process and help is needed. Because this is a large community event, the planning committee is looking for anyone who can volunteer time or donate candy or money. Those interested in helping should contact Julianne Bartosz at jmbart09@smumn.edu.