Easter Bunny greets local families at Senior Center

Inclement weather couldn’t stop Johnston kids from coming to Saturday’s Breakfast with the Easter Bunny.

The popularity of the Johnston Recreation and Parks Department’s annual event – which was again sponsored by Citizens Bank – became obvious by the long line of adults and children that formed inside Senior Center’s multipurpose room and extended out the door even before the designated 9:30 a.m. starting time.

Moreover, Saturday’s rain didn’t dampen the enthusiasm of the 300-plus children who came to the event decked out in special Easter’s best garb.

It was evident that grabbing a picture with the Easter Bunny is still a terrific tradition, and Saturday it showed no signs of growing old.

Take Julien McKeon, for example.

He came dressed in a matching vest and pants, pink shirt, plaid necktie and black shoes. After posing for a picture, he gave the Easter Bunny a huge hug – as did many of the children, who also received special gifts courtesy of Citizen Bank.

“The [Recreation Department] staff seems to be having as much fun as the kids,” a man observed while watching the faces of his son and daughter light up when Nicole Cournoyer, Johnston’s assistant recreation director, handed them specially-package Easter candies and other goodies. “This is a well-organized event.”

While Cournoyer’s planning played a significant role in the event’s success, three other Johnston Recreation Department part-time staffers also had a big hand in providing the family fun.

Additionally, Johnston High School sophomore Sarah Bandoma assisted Cournoyer in making each and every child feel special Saturday.

Likewise, Nas Vasquez and Caroline Howe didn’t have a free moment at their section of the multipurpose room, where they manned the breakfast area filled with Danish, donuts, fruit juices and water.

The two-section set-up, in fact, worked perfectly and lessened the long line of people waiting to take pictures with the Easter Bunny.

“We’re very pleased with today’s results,” Cournoyer said. “The most important thing is that all the children had fun. We’d also like to offer a special thank you to Citizens Bank for its ongoing support of our programs.”