Community Corner

Bob Burke and the 20,000 Easter Eggs

Burke and other park volunteers prepare for the Wentzville's Eggstravanza by stuffing and counting out each egg.

Parks volunteer Bob Burke was on his own Friday in the parks conference room in Progress Park, just him and several boxes of multi-colored Easter eggs.

He stuffed each egg with a Tootsie Roll. Later, he would methodically count them.

This is his routine for three days a week, from 6:45 to 11 a.m. Usually, he has a group of up to four other volunteers with him, he said.

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Burke even has a box of empty eggs counted out in case other parks volunteers stop by to work.

“The ladies think they love me when I do that for them,” Burke said.

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Their goal is 20,000 Easter eggs for the March 31 Easter Eggstravanganza put on by Wentzville’s Parks Department in Rotary Park. Burke is the most regular volunteer and said he probably stuffs 8,000 to 9,000 of the eggs himself.

“I worry every year that we’re not going to have enough Easter eggs for the hunt, but every year Bob Burke and other volunteers make sure that we have them ready,” said Parks and Recreation Director Mary Jo Dessieux.

Park volunteers earn $5 an hour in “Park Bucks,” which they can use to participate in parks programs, classes or trips. Burkeusually saves his up to take parks department sponsored trips.

But recently he donated $500 of his Park Bucks to the scholarship program, which allows underprivileged children to participate in city-run sports leagues or programs.

“I feel good about that because there’s a lot of little kids, their folks don’t have the money to send them to camp or to have them play sports,” Burke said.

Burke, who also is a Park Board member, said he would be at the Eggstravanganza. The event is fun the watch after his hours of work.

“It’s amazing when they line up and say, ‘Go.’ These guys run out there, their parents are trying to tell them what to do, and none of them listen,” Burke said and laughed. “And in less than 10 minutes, they’re all gone.”


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