K.I.T.E. breaks two SG Book of Records with the biggest egg hunt and egg mosaic.
Peeeeet! The moment Guest-of-Honor, Senior Minister of State for Law and Home Affairs, Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee sounded the starting alert, Nee Soon East Park was quickly submerged in a sea of little hands and feet scrambling to collect the prized treasure of the day—colorful plastic eggs.
The excitement of the 1,649 children involved in this mammoth quest for a total of 10,000 eggs was heightened by the knowledge that they were helping to set a new record for the most number of participants in an egg hunt in Singapore.
Earlier on the morning of Saturday, April 10, volunteers from City Harvest Community Services Association Services to children, Kids In Total Embrace, had transformed the park into a kaleidoscopic wonderland of eggs for this year’s biggest egg hunt. The brightly colored orbs were strewn over grass patches and exercise areas, along foot paths and the park’s wooden bridge, as well as cleverly tucked inside playground equipment, all in preparation for children aged seven and above to find.
For the younger tots six and below, their egg hunt adventure involved frisking through long swaths of cloth draped over the field of North View Primary School for the much-sought-after ovals concealed within the folds of the fabric.
As the children emerged triumphant with their booty of elliptical gems in tow, Professor Ho, who is also Member of Parliament for Nee Soon East, feted them for their part in the record breaking feat. “You can tell your friends, today you have helped to make history,” he said.
For K.I.T.E., this is the third year in a row they are holding the hunt, this time in collaboration with North View Primary School. Each year, the event has grown bigger, achieving new highs in attendance.
However, this year, to encourage the involvement of special needs children, K.I.T.E. set itself a goal of breaking a new record—creating the biggest egg mosaic. In conjunction with the hunt, 14 children from RAYZ, a partner organization of K.I.T.E. which focuses on providing services for the intellectually-challenged, helped to piece together a huge egg-shaped collage from 5,644 multi-colored plastic eggs.
Elaborating on this new feat, Eileen Toh, director of K.I.T.E. said, “We wanted those with special needs who may have difficulties competing with the rest of the children in the hunt, to still be able to stay indoors and break a record.”
K.I.T.E. and North View Primary received the awards for the biggest egg hunt and the biggest egg mosaic from Singapore Book of Records President, Ong Eng Huat.
At the heart of K.I.T.E. is a mission to inspire children toward their full potential. The annual egg hunt’s success was evident not just from the new records set but also from the beaming faces of the children and their families as they went about the day’s assignment.
Young strategists could be heard planning the best methods to amass the most number of precious orbs within the shortest time. Psychologist Susan Sullivan, 42, whose 10-year-old daughter was a budding egg-hunter lauded this camaraderie. “I think today is very good because it helps the children get involved in something together, learning to work together and not to fight,” she said.
Other eager parents fussed over the best receptacles to use to hold the hard-earned treasures—whether plastic or cloth bags, the traditional basket, or even caps. However, the most astonishing egg-holding vessel must have been that of an overturned umbrella seen at the sidelines of the hunting ground of the park under close guard of an eagle-eyed adult, filled with dozens of the shiny ovals.
“It is so good to see mothers, fathers and even grandparents here,” enthused Professor Ho. Commending K.I.T.E. on its programs which include tuition classes, home visitations and enrichment activities apart from community events like the egg hunt, he further said, “This is what we need in families, a total, holistic approach.”
During the event, Professor Ho also presented bursaries from K.I.T.E. worth S$200 each to five children from low-income families.
Commenting on the day’s activities, North View Primary’s Principal, Ng Yeow Ling said, “This collaboration between K.I.T.E. and our school has not only brought joy to our pupils and many others, but also provided the opportunity for our school to make a positive impact in the Nee Soon East community.”
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| CN PHOTOS: Gabriel Seow | |
Amongst residents who welcomed the egg hunt being held in their neighborhood were the Wongs. One mother, Eileen, 40 only learned about the event when she passed by the school that morning but wasted no time in rallying her 9-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter to participate. “It was so much fun even though it was our first time,” she said. Older boy Kai Jie succeeded in collecting a noteworthy 30 eggs.
Nevertheless, it may not have been the quantity of eggs accumulated which mattered at the end of the day as only selected orbs contained prize slips that would lead to the hunt’s true spoils—coveted toys such as bicycles, board games, frisbees and more.
Akila Deswari, 8, may have picked up a meager four eggs but was delighted to find the “golden ticket” for one of the top prizes of a remote control helicopter inside. “I love my helicopter,” she gushed.
Whether or not they walked away with a prize, every child assuredly brought back with them happy memories of an enjoyable day spent with friends and family. For the year ahead, K.I.T.E. plans to work closely with the Singapore Book of Records to explore how they can continue to push new boundaries in their efforts to foster stronger family and community ties.
