At the Norwich Easter Egg Hunt sponsored by the Maydole Hose Co., two lucky children found the grand prize eggs winning them each a bicycle. These were 4-year-old Avianna Taranto and 8-year-old Tyler Taranto. The Hose company and the Easter Bunny presented their grand prize. (Photo by Rebecca Laibowitz)

NORWICH – Despite the chilling weather, there were lots of smiling faces at the Maydole Hose Co. sponsored Easter egg hunt this Saturday March 28. Kids from across the county gathered at East and West parks in Norwich for their chance to meet the Easter Bunny and participate in an egg hunt, where two lucky eggs contained grand prize certificates.

Each year the Maydole Hose Co. gifts two brand new bicycles as a grand prize for the Easter egg hunt. This year the lucky winners were 4-year-old Avianna Taranto and 8-year-old Tyler Taranto, coincidentally a brother and sister pair.

The whimsy brought by the Easter Bunny, and the children eager to collect all of the candy-filled eggs that they could, were able to keep everyone's mind off of the cold temperature. All of the children waited patiently with their families on the edge of the park until the signal was given for the hunt to begin, and then it was a rush to see who could collect the most eggs.

The thousands of eggs that filled the parks were gone in minutes as childhood joy filled the atmosphere of the center of Norwich.

Pat Ford, President of the Maydole Hose Co. No. 2 said, “We had an awesome group that came out today. We gave out about 5600 eggs and they were gone in no time. Had two winners for the bicycles and it just couldn't have been better.”

The Maydole Hose Co. started sponsoring the Norwich Easter Egg Hunt back in 2009 and have continued to do so to show their continued support of the community and enriching the lives of local children.

Ford expressed, “Yeah, we love doing this. We love doing it for everybody. Thank you.”

Once all of the eggs had been collected the two bicycle winners were presented their grand prizes and everyone posed for pictures with the Easter Bunny. Avianna kept a smile on her face the whole time and seemed very happy to receive her prize, and you could just tell that her brother Tyler was eager to get on the new bicycle and get to riding.

Yes it was cold outside, but the sun was shining and there was not a single cloud looming over, so it really turned out to be a great time for everyone there. It truly was a heartwarming community event filled with families and excited children, all thanks to our local first responders at the Maydole Hose Co. No. 2 of the Norwich Fire Department.

Easter Sunday is this weekend, April 5, 2026. If you missed this egg hunt, there are more happening around the county, check our monthly calendar for details. Happy Easter to all who celebrate!