Coronavirus Forces Americans To Find Easter Fun At Least 6 Feet Apart
Article content NEW YORK Easter is a special holiday for 6-year-old Nora Heddendorf. It's a time when she is a fan of dressing up in fancy shoes and fancy dresses and go on a hunt with her family and friends for brightly colored eggs.
The coronavirus pandemic made her to change her routine this year. She'll complete her Easter outfit by adding a white mask disposable gloves in blue, and disinfectant wipes. After being informed that her New Jersey town's annual egg hunt could be cancelled She came up with the idea of a "rock hunt."
Article content Nora's hunt replaces eggs with colorful stones and allows her neighbors to go on their social-distancing walks to hunt.
The kindergartener admitted that she was sad that the program was going to be cut off because of the virus in an interview by phone with Reuters. "I would like people to be happy."
From the White House to small town parks The pandemic has prompted the elimination of traditional Easter egg hunts and "rolls" across the United States, closed churches and scotched plans for Easter meals with extended families.
But many Americans are still looking for ways to have holiday fun such as an Oregon candy maker making chocolate bunnies with face masks to a Texas church hosting an egg hunt that is virtual using the video game Minecraft.
Article content Nora and her mother started organizing their hunt in Medford Lakes a few weeks ago. She gathered dozens of DIY kits, each with five rocks, four paint colors, instructions, and all wrapped in plastic bags. Of course, she wore disposable gloves and spraying the contents with disinfectant.
The kits were left at her house for anyone who wanted to pick them up. The young artist, Nora's Rocks requested her friends return the decorated rocks she left to her for hiding.
"Thank you for helping Nora's Rocks bring our town closer while staying apart," said the instruction letter she included in the kits.
Samantha Heddendorf, Samantha's mother and president of an environmental cleanup firm which has been cleaning up the buildings affected by the coronavirus crisis, said that the hunt will begin on Good Friday and run until Easter Sunday, with new batches of painted rocks being hidden every day.
Content of the article The aim of this project is to place 500 stones "eggs" in every corner of the 1 mile (2.6 km) town.
"When people are taking their social distancing walks, they could look for rocks - or so-called Easter Eggs. Samantha Heddendorf stated that they are able to find something to hunt for, pick them up, and have at least an emoji to commemorate Easter.
Central Point chocolatier Jeff Shepherd came up with a plan to help save his Lillie Belle Farms in Oregon from being shut down due to the coronavirus. He shared with his Facebook fans that he would make "Covid Bunnies" that are dark and milk chocolate with white face masks and white chocolate ones with blue face masks.
It was an incredible success. Shepherd was able hire back seven of his full-time workers, sold 5,000 bunnies and is now scrambling to fulfill back orders.
Article content Safe distancing to stop spread of the virus is what prompted the Tate Springs Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, to go digital with its Easter Egg hunt, using Minecraft but disabling potentially frightening game elements like monsters.
Reverend Curtis James stated, "Our main goal in life is to spread the gospel. We also want children to still enjoy Easter."
Nora was delighted to discover that her concept was appreciated by numerous. The mayor of the town stopped by to see her stuff the kits and the Lions Club invited her for lunch "when the whole thing is finished."
Her most loved "thanks" was gift-wrapped rolls toilet paper. email This was one of the mainstays that people panic-shopped for during the pandemic.
Nora said, "My mom smiled when toilet paper was delivered." (Reporting by Barbara Goldberg in New York; Additional reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Rosalba O'Brien)
