Saturday, April 04, 2015 02:33PM
SANTA ANA, Calif. (KABC) —
Sixty children from the Blind Children’s Learning Center in Santa Ana took part in a special, early Easter egg hunt in Newport Beach.
The event, held at the Newport Dunes Country Club, helped the children participate in something that’s usually difficult for them to do.
“Somebody in the community saw that there was a need and wanted to know if there was something they could do as far as the children having an Easter egg hunt,” said Gwendy Ransom, the chair of the volunteer group that organizes the event.
The children are visually impaired, and some of them are completely blind. For the last 20 years, the volunteers have found and made unique eggs that beep, buzz and make other noises just for this occasion.
“I feel all over the place, and I found it,” said Ivan, a 7-year-old blind student.
Teachers at the school said the event gives the children a rare opportunity to do something completely on their own, without the assistance of their parents or teachers.
“They’re able to find that beeper egg that makes the sound source and someone’s not putting their hand on it and they’re able to find it independently for themselves,” said Amiee Goulding, the lead teacher at the Blind Children’s Learning Center.
It’s a feeling these parents say many children who can see take for granted.
Two-year-old Mixon has eye cancer and can only see out of half of an eye. His mom says the Easter egg hunt made him forget about all that.
“Oh fantastic, just that there’s something out here for the little kids who can’t see is brilliant,” said Louise Duckworth.
The children also made Easter baskets and took photos with the Easter bunny. It’s a memory the children and the volunteers won’t soon forget.
“For us to be able to see them and see that they can participate, I can’t tell you how much our hearts just swell,” said Ransom.
The volunteers are still in search for more beeping eggs to use in the future.