Annual Easter Egg Hunt in Ely a success

By Nancy Riedell

Approximately 350 people, both parents and children, came to find the Golden Ticket hiding in Easter eggs at the Easter Egg Hunt in Broadbent Park in Downtown Ely on Saturday, April 19th. They were divided into age groups: 0-2, 3-4, 5-7, 8-10, and 11-12. They were accompanied by the Easter Bunny and Easter Chicken. While the children may have been only interested in finding Easter eggs filled with candy, in each age group, there was one Easter egg containing the Golden Ticket. Should an Easter Egg hunter find the Golden Ticket, he or she will win tickets to the Lagoon Amusement Park in Utah. This is a $100 per person savings. This Golden Ticket was sponsored by KDSS Radio.

Kyle Horvath, Director of White Pine County’s Tourism and Recreation Department, says that this Easter Egg Hunt kicks off summer events in White Pine County. The closest summer events are the Nevada Open Road Challenge in May, specifically May 16th, 17th, and 18th, and the Cave Lake Reopening on June 7th. Both of these events are a huge draw for tourists, and they are expected to be well attended.

Med X Air One

Med X Air One pilot, Shawn Hallford, was at the Easter Egg Hunt in Broadbent Park awaiting the throngs of children who would converge upon him and his fellow pilots once they had completed their egg hunt. 

The Med X Air One helicopter was on full display at Broadbent Park, and the children were allowed to talk to the pilots and look inside, but no rides were offered.
Med X Air One provides emergency flights from the William Bee Ririe Hospital, as well as the nearby towns of Eureka and Austin. These flights can go to Las Vegas, NV, Salt Lake City, and St. George, Utah, without needing to refuel. By doing this, the helicopter can take critically ill or injured patients to the hospitals in these cities in order for them to receive the emergency or urgent care that the patient would require. This is truly a life-saving need, and the pilots are to be commended for playing a role in it.

The pilots always fly two pilots at a time. They each work a 12-hour shift, with seven days on and seven days off. That means the Med X Aire One helicopter is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The Ely Easter Egg Hunt provided a unique opportunity for both parents and children alike to not only receive a Golden Ticket but to learn more about the life-saving helicopter that provides service in White Pine County.