Unaka – Unaka Baptist Church hosted an Easter celebration at the Unaka Community Center’s ball field Saturday.
The event was full of food, fun and fellowship, and encouraged residents to bring friends. This is the first time the church and community center have done an Easter event in several years.
At the beginning of the event, kids were able to play games, allowing parents to eat and mingle with other adults. The kids began with an egg race and egg-bucket toss before moving into a game to teach kids of all ages about the meaning behind Easter and Jesus’ resurrection story.
Once the kids played, they joined their parents and other adults for food. Tim Abernathy, a member of the church, grilled hot dogs for the 30-plus crowd of people. Other church and community members provided toppings for the hot dogs, chips, cookies, brownies, cupcakes and drinks.
After everyone had eaten and enjoyed each other’s company, the kids were ready for the main event: the Easter egg hunt. Children under age 6 were given a head start, much to the older kids’ dismay, but everyone was able to get a basket full of eggs with treats and toys. Kids then counted their eggs and received a bonus slime prize when their number bracket was called.
After this, those in attendance were encouraged to stay and relax and finish off the remaining food. Unaka Baptist Church provided crafts for kids to color wooden carrots, make Easter-themed bracelets and Easter sun-catchers. Those who couldn’t stay were able to take these crafts home to do later.
“We’re really working to create a space for the community to get together. We’ve gotten so spread out over the years that we often forget how close and supportive the Unaka community,” Unaka Community Development Club President Holly Willis said.
“We want the community to come together to celebrate and support each other, and create opportunities for kids and families in the community.”
Details: The Unaka Community Center is at 14945 Joe Brown Highway, Murphy, NC 28906; or the Unaka Baptist Church at 12488 Beaver Dam Road, Murphy, NC 28906.