FORKS — It’s a big job — and Bruce Guckenberg, family and friends have done it annually since 1980.
Thanks to their work the 300 to 350 children who scamper across Tillicum Park’s baseball field at 1 p.m. today for the Forks Easter Egg Hunt will be able to find 120 dozen boiled and dyed eggs and about 500 plastic eggs.
Guckenberg — owner of Sully’s Drive-in and city councilman — and Forks Outfitters — which contributes the eggs — have joined together every year for nearly three decades to provide enough eggs for all of the area children.
Also sponsoring the egg hunt are Thriftway and Peninsula Bottling Co. _
Guckenberg said he and his family spent three hours on Wednesday, four on Thursday and another four on Friday boiling and dying the 1,440 eggs the festive colors of Easter.
“Oh yeah, it is a whole family operation, but it has outgrown me and my kids,” he said, adding that friends of the family often help out with the operation.
All of the hours of labor go into about 15 minutes of fun for the children who gather at the park at 411 Tillicum Lane.
Three age groups will have hunts: 3 and under, 4 through 8 years old and 8 through 12 years old.
Plastic eggs will contain surprises, such as money or gift certificates.
Each child also will get a ticket for drawings that will give away a boy’s bike, a girl’s bike, stuffed animals and chocolate Easter bunnies, Guckenberg said.
For more information, phone Guckenberg at 360-374-5075.