vidalia — Though the Easter egg hunt didn’t start until 2 Sunday afternoon, eager kids with empty baskets started lining up at 12:30.

Miss-Lou Team Extreme and Vidalia Women’s Club joined forces to have the hunt at Vidalia Lower Elementary School to raise money for Relay for Life.

Tammy Rouse, relay chair for Team Extreme, said this was not merely an Easter egg hunt but almost a spring fling event.

This is because other activities were available, including face painting, a cakewalk and the D.A.R.E Train.

Manning the D.A.R.E Train was Lt. Neil Mohan from the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office.

He said the D.A.R.E Train began several years ago when another officer saw something similar at an even out of time.

“He came back to Sheriff Randy Maxwell and told him about it and he fell in love with it,” Mohan said.

They took the design idea and inmates helped build the train.

The train ride has a two-fold purpose, one for enjoyment and the other for D.A.R.E awareness.

“We’re trying to keep kids off drugs,” Mohan said.

With three grandchildren, Mohan loves kids and has been volunteering to drive the train for a while.

The children lined up at 2 to hunt the eggs, sweeping the thousands of them up in their baskets in a matter of seconds.

Rouse said inside the eggs was candy, toys and prizes. Jerry’s Donut Shop coupons were in the eggs, as well.

With the $5 admission, children were entered to win many prizes, including gift bags and even a bike.

This is the first year for Team Extreme and the Women’s Club to host the Easter egg hunt and they hope to do it for many years to come.

“It’s a community service,” Rouse said.

She’s not sure how much will be raised this year.

“I don’t know if we’ll raise that much, we didn’t advertise much,” she said.

The last time it was put on, in 2006, $1,800 dollars was raised.

But Rouse is positive that the event will get bigger and bigger each year.

As kids plopped down in sandboxes, sidewalks and the grass to pop open their plastic eggs, Angel Price said she came on account of the beautiful blue sky and shining son.

“It’s a pretty day and it’s something for the kids to do,” Price said.

Robin Gregg said she brought her children out for the array of activities.

“It’s something for the kids to come out and do, and there are a lot of activities.”