The fun began as the sun went down and nearly 200 children scrambled through the dark to collect the plastic eggs scattered behind the Gleason Family YMCA on Friday night.

YMCA staff members and Bridgewater State volunteers placed 3,500 eggs for the annual Flashlight Easter egg hunt. Children in kindergarten through fifth grade participated in the event, which also included a bouncy house, selfie station, games, and crafts.

“It brings everyone in the community,” said Member Engagement Director Mark Guerin. “And it is something that is unique: it is great to see kids running around with the flashlight versus the traditional egg hunt.”

Inside the eggs, kids found candy, gift cards, and little toys like stickers, balls, bracelets, and tattoos. YMCA hosted its first flashlight Egg hunt three years ago, replacing a more traditional breakfast with the Easter bunny.

“That had been a tradition at the Gleason Family YMCA for years, but I found that many children were afraid of the bunny. An egg hunt is fun, fast, and brings families together,” event creator and Special Events Coordinator Cathy Longfield said.

Longfield said she used to host a flashlight egg hunt for her own children and their friends, and now, after bringing this tradition to YMCA, she enjoys seeing “the kids’ joy after they open the eggs and see their goodies inside.”

Regardless of the humid and overcast weather, the kids ignored the wet grass and rushed to pick up the eggs as soon as the doors opened. One of the participants, Victoria Kutta shared her secret behind a successful egg hunt, saying that “you just go outside, you think your way through, and you just run.”

All the money raised through the event benefited the YMCA’s Annual Campaign, which ensures that all community members have access to the Y. Anyone who wishes to donate can do so via the YMCA’s website at www.ymcasouthcoast.org.