A free Easter egg hunt ended in total chaos, with adults trampling children in search for eggs.
The scene was described as ‘an angry mob of chaos’ with ‘not one toddler hunting for eggs’ by a horrified parent.
It’s estimated that around 1,000 people were a part of the event, with 9,000 eggs laid out in aged bracketed sections divided by ribbons.
The event had staggered start times to give different age groups time to hunt but despite the restrictions, children as young as four were trampled and had their buckets stolen, with many toddlers ‘pushed into the mud’.
Witnesses claim that one four-year-old boy was left with a ‘bloody nose’ after being pushed by an adult.
According to one parent, as soon as one field opened the whole event descended into chaos with the ribbons submerged in mud.
This is the third annual free event held by PEZ at their headquarters in Orange, Connecticut, in the United States, and the backlash hasn’t been pretty.
Parent Val McCormick described the scene as ‘nuts’ drawing comparisons to ‘Black Friday sales’ (huge sales across the US on the Friday after Thanksgiving that often cause chaos and have resulted in some deaths).
Staff were reportedly inundated by the amount of participants.
PEZ General Manager, Shawn Peterson, confirmed the meltdown. “We started talking to people and say ‘hey this is supposed to start at certain time.’ That lasted about a minute and everyone just rushed the field and took everything,”.
Posts via PEZ Candy USA Facebook page.
Other participants have leapt to PEZ’s defence, instead criticising selfish parents for ruining the Easter egg hunt.
Facebook user Kym Vance commented: “Thank you to PEZ for trying to do something nice for the children of the community. Shame on the parents who ruined it because they have no manners.”
The Easter Bunny has yet to comment on the event, but you can be certain Santa’s naughty list has gained a few more names.
Need to use up your left over Easter eggs? Try this: Phoodie’s 3 ingredient creme egg fudge.
Top Comments
Easter Egg hunts used to require kids to show though and persistent to find where they were hidden. Effort and dedication was rewarded with eggs.
So now they lay them all out on a field and everyone lines up to get them for free, in equal share and with no effort. Everyone is rewarded for doing nothing and trying doesn't get you any benefit. If denied, your angry sense of entitlement immediately flashes to the surface.
Seems like the perfect allegory for how our society has changed.
Is their a switch in adult's brains that makes them uncontrollable as soon the word 'free' is mentioned?
I remember as 5 year old child going to an event where they were throwing lollies, and they were the cheap kind nothing special. Beside the adults catching the lollies from the air where we kids couldn't reach, one actually jumped on my fingers to get the lollipop I was holding. Arrgghhh.