On Saturday, the Greene Town Center in Beavercreek, Ohio, held its Second Annual Easter Egg Hunt, which quickly devolved into an out-of-control free-for-all. The mall management team released a statement on Monday via Facebook, which has since been taken down, expressing their disappointment in the outcome of the event.
The post explained that the mall had spent 90 minutes prior to the event’s start instructing participants on how the event would work. The hunt was to begin with 1 and 2-year-olds, who were given eggs laid out specifically for them, followed by 3 and 4-year-olds, who were given a 60-second head-start with a parent.
Unfortunately, the event went off the rails when adults began to ignore these rules and started picking up eggs. The statement described the scene as “grown adults pushing children out of the way, and people getting knocked over.”
In a Facebook post that has since been taken down, The Greene said, “Our staff dedicated 2 months to preparing for this event, and we had 10 staff members and a softball team of 12 girls volunteer their time yesterday to help run our event – everyone was very upset with the outcome of the Egg Hunt, and the way they were treated by community members at the conclusion of the event,” the Facebook post said.
The mall management team was deeply disappointed by the outcome of the event, and the way participants reacted. They apologized to anyone who may have been affected by the adults’ poor behavior, and also thanked the prize donors and event volunteers, and apologized “for the way the community has spoken to them.”
The Greene also stated, “We saw grown adults pushing children out of the way, and people getting knocked over,” the Facebook post said. “This is absolutely unacceptable behavior, and we apologize to anyone that was affected by these actions.”
In light of the chaotic event, the Greene Town Center has decided to discontinue the Easter Egg Hunt and will instead be hosting a prize raffle. Jessica Baer, the assistant manager of the Greene Town Center, said the mall “feels the community will be better without the hunt.”
@chickmcgee1 Sound familiar…. Easter Egg Hunt, Ohio, absolutely unacceptable behavior…… pic.twitter.com/8ivgUZBn3m
— Justin K Mann (@mannbeast) April 5, 2023
