Helicopter delivers Easter Bunny to Union Township church
The Easter Bunny arrived Saturday via helicopter at Crossroads Ministries in Union Township, dropping 6,000 plastic eggs filled with prizes onto a field in front of the church.
The Easter Bunny, portrayed by Crossroads Ministries’ children’s ministries director Cortney Hodgson, greets Amina Salyers, 3, of Belle Vernon, after a helicopter dropped 6,000 plastic eggs filled with prizes at the church in Union Township.
FINLEYVILLE – The Easter Bunny arrived in grand style aboard a helicopter Saturday at a church in Union Township, dropping 6,000 prize-filled plastic eggs before touching down for photographs with children.
The eggs joined 14,000 others that were spread across the lawn for the 750 children who were registered for the event at Crossroads Ministries, said the Rev. Ken Barner, pastor of the church.
“We care about the community,” Barner said before the helicopter from Stellar Copters flew from Allegheny County Airport to the church at 81 Walter Long Road on the outskirts of Finleyville.
“We want them to know that Crossroads cares,” Barner said.
He said the church’s team decided to do the egg drop after hearing about helicopters doing the same thing in other states with great success.
“We’re expecting 400 cars,” Barner said.
The helicopter made a few passes over the crowd before it hovered over the lawn, making several sweeps while those aboard dropped the colorful eggs onto the field. The sound of a police siren blared from speakers while another pastor, Caleb York, used a microphone to give out instructions to the parents and children. The children were kept behind a plastic fence before it was time for them to run onto the field and collect eggs.
Cortney Hodgson, the church’s children’s ministries director, was dressed as the Easter Bunny in the helicopter, and after it landed, she posed for photographs with the children in front of the chopper.
“They have swept the field of eggs,” York said.