VLPRA Press Release:

The Valdosta-Lowndes County Parks & Recreation Agency brought home a national award for its work with individuals with disabilities. The National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials presented its 2018 “Breaking Barriers” award to VLPRA for the Authority’s annual Egg-Ceptional Egg Hunt.

VLPRA Program Coordinator Tammy Crosby accepted the award at the NACPRO Banquet in Nashville, Tennessee.  This award recognizes a unique program or facility that enables and encourages greater participation in parks and recreation by persons with disabilities.

Crosby created the Egg-Ceptional Egg Hunt for children with disabilities in 2014 and it has been delighting local families since.  The event is a fully accessible egg hunt with games and prizes where families can participate together, regardless of ability. 

“We want to make sure every child has the opportunity to experience the joy of an egg hunt,” Crosby says.  “It’s an honor that we are a springtime tradition for area families.”

The egg hunt is for two to 12 year olds and is separated by ages with small children in their own area.  VLPRA provides thousands of toy and candy filled eggs, purchased from a company that employs adults with special needs.  The Authority provides tennis ball baskets to children in wheelchairs so they can independently pick up their own eggs.  There are also audible “beep” eggs for children with visual impairments.

Once the hunt is over, VLPRA provides activities for all ability levels, including sensory bins and arts and crafts.  There are also games where kids can win prizes like bowling passes and theme park tickets.

The Egg-Ceptional Egg Hunt is free to the public and held every spring at VLPRA’s Craig Center on Gordon Street.