Residents stop at nothing to have Easter event

PENDER COUNTY, NC (WWAY) — Easter is just a couple of days away, and there seems to be some confusion over what events that are allowed to take place.

WWAY’s Lakeeda Johnson spoke with a group of residents who were concerned about passing out candy to the community.

“I need some answers, because I didn’t want to get out. People still calling me at my church, saying, ‘What time ya’ll want to put the candy off, so I don’t even have any answers for them. I really didn’t know how to tell them,” Easter Love Candy Bag Drive Thru Organizer Cheryl Walker said.

She and a group of Maple Hill residents planned for an Easter egg hunt two months ago, but due to the pandemic, they have had to change their event to a drive thru.

“We are determined,” Organizer Lucy Pickett said.

She expressed that when a neighbor told them they had to cancel or postpone the event, they were confused, so they reached out to the county leaders for guidelines.

“We had been informed by an official that said the health department called that we could not have the drive-thru, and me being the person that I am, I’m just not going to stop. Be determined to find out why, who said it, and why we can’t,” Pickett said.

We reached out to both a Pender County attorney and a county spokeswoman who explained that this event can move forward, since the drive-thru has taken proper health precautions and following social distancing guidelines.

“We have our gloves, we have our masks, we have our sanitizer. We was gonna stay 6 ft. a part,” Walker said.

Pickett added all she wants to do is put a smile on children’s faces.

“This Easter love drive only to make them know that, ‘Yes you can be greater,” Pickett said. “We experience this coronavirus, your parents may be out of work, your food may be lacking at home, you may have to go to food bank to receive some food…peanut butter, and jelly, but you can still receive some love.”

The event will take place at St. John Missionary Baptist Church on Saturday from 3 – 4 p.m. for those who are 18 and under.