The second year of Books and Bunnies, an annual event put on by the Harvest Youth Board with the support of several other charities that set up booths, made the event a success. The event this year was held at the Monogram Smith River Sports Complex on March 22, and from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m., families took part in events, including meeting the Easter Bunny.
“We have an egg hunt going on, we have a bunch of non-profit organizations here. We are teaching the kids about the county,” said Maddie Crowe, a member of the youth board.
Other organizations to participate in the event included the United Way of Martinsville-Henry County, Blue Ridge Regional Library, and the Martinsville-Henry County SPCA. These organizations handed out information on their programs, and the SPCA brought adoptable puppies for families to meet.
The egg hunt was one of the largest activities at the event, with approximately 20,000 eggs placed in the field. Among the treasures were 15 green eggs that sparkled.
Youngsters who found one of those eggs “will get a basket with little toys and books.” Children who took pictures with the bunny received a free book.
The SPCA booth included adoptable puppies for youngsters and families to visit.
“It helps us bring literacy out into the community,” said Crowe. Set-up started the day before the event, with the eggs being quickly put out that morning. “It took 45 minutes. We had a lot of help. I think we have around 30 to 50 volunteers.” Along with eggs, balloon animals and play areas were set up at the event.
The youth board members were excited to help make the event a success.
“I know I would have loved to do something like this when I was a kid,” said member Dylan Spencer, who was helping to give bags to families at the entrance.
“It means a lot to me to be here; it’s my last year, so I’ve been sitting on the board now for four years,” said member Alexa Martell.
The Books and Bunnies event is set to return next year, and children of all ages are encouraged to seek out more books to read.
