In celebration of the spring season, an Easter Egg Hunt was hosted for children with special needs in the parking lot of the Burlington County Administration Building.

The event was hosted by the county’s sheriff and freeholder director, in partnership with Breaking Grounds Coffee and Cafe, which is located in Mount Holly. The cafe opened in December 2017 to create jobs for young adults with autism, Down syndrome or other developmental disabilities.

The egg hunt was organized in sessions to accommodate three groups: visually impaired, mobility impaired, and autistic and other disabilities. Freeholder Director Kate Gibbs described the process.

“For the first session with the visually impaired, we are using sound to help alert the children to the eggs. So, we are using smoke detectors that make that beeping sound, which we place in the Easter basket along with eggs so that the children will be able to hear the sound,” she said. “For children with mobility issues, we’ve put magnets on the Easter eggs and we gave them a magic wand so they can more easily pick up eggs. For children with behavioral and autistic issues, we have flashing lights which help them bring more attention to the egg.”

The children participated in small groups of five to 10 children at a time, while their caregivers assisted them. As they picked up the eggs, the kids were immediately filled with joy.

“I am excited!” exclaimed Emily Coco, who is visually impaired. “I got a grape lollipop and a toy.”

For the parents, the event had more meaning than just candy, toys and eggs.

“I really like the event,” said Michele Coco, Emily’s mother and a resident of Hammonton. “There’s not a lot of events like this out there for special needs children, and when it saw it posted on Facebook, I contacted the director immediately to participate.”

Breaking Grounds Coffee and Cafe is operated by the Zefer Foundation. The foundation’s president, Brandi Fishman, has a 10-year-old daughter, Zoey, who is autistic. Fishman said she looks forward to presenting more events that cater to children with special needs in the community.

“I am constantly inspired by my daughter and people like her. I anticipate this will be an ongoing annual event for us for the future,” Fishman said.

Organizers also said the event’s purpose was to enhance socialization among children and their peers, and to increase independence and decision-making skills, while raising awareness that special needs children can do whatever they put their minds to.

“It was such a great experience for all of us. It was just so touching to see how the kids were so happy. It brought tears to your eyes,” said Burlington County Sheriff Jean Stanfield.

At the end of the egg hunt, children claimed their prizes and received hugs from a very special guest — the Easter Bunny.