Several dozen Warren Manor residents were lined up mostly in wheelchairs this past

Thursday afternoon on the front porch, waiting for a busload of 3- and 4-year olds from nearby Central Christian Academy.

Like clockwork the big yellow school bus pulled into the driveway

at 2 p.m. and 45 bright and eager youngsters got off with four teachers and Dr. John Niblett, headmaster of the school.

The event is an annual Easter

fun-fest for young and old.

Jean Jones, activity director of Warren Manor Health & Rehabilitation Center,

said that the event is very popular with the seniors, and they always look forward to it. The Warren Manor staff stuffs each of the 145 plastic eggs – three for each child – and then hide them around the front lawn. Also, at the end

the staff passes baskets of treats and Easter cookies to the children.

Each child gathers as many of the brightly colored eggs as possible and then passes by a big basket and turns them in. Then each receives three. If some eggs were not found there are extras to make sure each child gets three.

Niblett, for his part, says the event provides the seniors with a little bit of joy at Easter time at the same time the children have their fun.

“Our kids love to entertain,” he said, adding, “They’re natural entertainers.”

“But they’re also very compassionate,” he said.

About the time he said that, one little boy came up complaining to a teacher that he hadn’t found any eggs. The teacher quickly responded to Niblett, “He found one but he gave it away.”

The egg hunt at Warren Manor is one of many community-oriented events sponsored by Central Christian Academy throughout the year.

Central Chistian teachers participating were Trish Brumley and Erica Maxwell, who teach the 4-year-olds and Nadine Latham and Valencia Mitchell who teach the 3-year-olds.