First responders host ‘Hero Hunt,’ engages with community for early Easter Egg Hunt at Civic Center Park
ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (KQTV) -- For the first time in St. Joseph history, first responders from nearly every agency came together to organize an early Easter egg hunt for local families, complete with toy giveaways and vehicle tours at Civic Center Park.
The event, which drew in hundreds of families, featured 20,000 eggs individually stuffed with goodies.
One highlight of the day was something entirely new, toys donated by Walmart and distributed by officers, deputies, and firefighters.
Organizers say it’s the first time first responders have explicitly given out toys to youth in the community.
“This is the first event that we actually had toys to hand out,” said Officer Josh Deming of the St. Joseph Police Department. “We had some really good sponsors. Walmart was a very good sponsor. We’re hoping to carry this tradition on with the toys and the prizes.”
The idea for the Easter egg hunt grew out of a simple question the officers asked themselves after their successful Halloween and Christmas events.
“Me and a couple of partners, we really enjoy the community partnership,” Deming explained. “After each holiday, we just like to think of what’s next. We came up with the hunt and never dreamed it would be this big.”
The event wasn’t limited to police.
The Sheriff’s office, EMS, and fire departments all participated, offering tours of their vehicles and helping manage the massive egg hunt.
Officer Joey Thompson, another organizer, noted that bringing multiple agencies together was surprisingly easy.
“It’s all about community engagement,” he said. “A lot of times when we reach out to other organizations, they jump right on board and want to help out. That part was the easiest part. Stuffing 20,000 eggs was the hardest part.”
For Thompson, the sight of children running across the park, some wrapping themselves in yellow police tape just for fun, made all the effort worthwhile.
“It humanizes the badge,” he said. “It shows that on the outside of that badge, we’re humans just like everybody else. We like to engage with the community, and it helps foster a better relationship with the children.”
Both officers admitted the event exceeded their expectations, despite windy and cold weather.
The turnout was so strong that organizers are already planning for next year.
“From the looks of it, we may have to find a bigger area,” Thompson said. “You think Civic Center Park is big enough, but we got hundreds of families here.”
Deming echoed that sentiment, adding that the positive feedback from the community has made one thing clear. “We’ll see what next year brings,” he said. “We’re hoping to continue this.”
As families left the park with armfuls of eggs, new toys, and smiles, Deming offered a final thank you to the crowd. “I just want to thank everybody for coming out and enjoying this day with us.”
