Over 1,200 Easter eggs were scattered around Collis Common Ground on Friday afternoon, as more than 150 parents and children from communities in the Upper Valley arrived to enjoy the Green Spring Celebration organized by Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternity and its programming chair Ian Tapu '08.
The event featured an Easter egg hunt, arts and crafts tables, food, games and prizes, as well as performances by Roots of Rhythm and the Dodecaphonics.
While Kappa Kappa Kappa fraternity was responsible for organizing the event, numerous other campus groups were involved in the set-up and volunteering. Over 20 organizations participated, including multiple Greek houses, the Afro-American Society and the Tucker Foundation.
Tapu mentioned that he encouraged Greek organizations to participate in the hopes of changing the image of the Greek community.
"From a Greek standpoint, I feel that we do a lot of work [in the community], but especially nowadays there is a stereotype of students in Greek organizations as being party animals and trouble makers," he said. "I wanted us to reach out to the community and show that we care about them."
Tapu also noted that the event focused not on philanthropic work but on person-to-person interaction with New Hampshire residents and between the fraternities and sororities themselves.
"[Greek organizations] pretty much only deal with philanthropy -- raising money and giving it away," Tapu said. "We were missing that interaction with the community and with each other -- when we co-sponsor events, it just means giving money. But I had over 60 volunteers, and it was amazing how many people wanted to help out."
The event attracted a large crowd, with parents and children lined up outside of the Common Ground as early as 2:45 for the 3:30 commencement.
Because part of the event's purpose was to help needy families, the prizes included backpacks, books, jump-ropes and markers, and were obtained using the more than $1,500 that Tri-Kap received in donations. Tapu noted that he specifically invited families from the Lebanon Housing Authority, as well as the children in Dream, with the hopes of helping children without making the event seem like a charity event.
After the children participated in a series of activities, including the Easter egg hunt, the volunteers and families watched performances by Roots of Rhythm and the Dodecaphonics.
"The kids just loved [Roots of Rhythm] -- as soon as they started performing, there was just silence in the room and all the kids crowded around them," Tapu said. "It was a really good cultural lesson."
Hannah Watah '09, a member of Alpha Phi Omega, volunteered at the event by painting faces. She emphasized how much the children benefited from the event.
"They all seemed really excited -- everyone that sat in the chair to get their faces painted had won some sort of bigger prize that they were all telling me about," she said. "And I know a lot of the parents were really impressed that this was the first time it was done."
One such parent was West Lebanon resident David Acker, whose son Nick won a number of prizes and played with the jumbo inflatable basketball hoop that members of Tri-Kap had set up.
"I think [the event] was an excellent idea," Acker said. "I watch all the kids around here, and the excitement in the kids' faces is good to see."
Nick also expressed satisfaction with the afternoon.
"It was pretty cool," he said.
Tapu indicated that he plans to host the celebration again next spring, and also hopes to hold something similar for Halloween involving haunted houses and performances on Webster avenue.
