For the third consecutive year, a local Destination Imagination (DI) team is bringing the Easter Bunny and his Bunny Squad to local homes to hide eggs and pose for photos, earning their way to the STEAM-based organization’s Global Finals competition. But these aren’t just your average bunnies-for-hire. Sean Dick, Noah Phillips, Izzy Atkinson and Molly Smith, the four Franklin Classical School high schoolers who comprise the Bunny Squad, are also using this event to provide a special treat for kids through two area non-profit organizations, and they are asking the community to help.
For $10 per two dozen eggs, the Easter Bunny and Bunny Squad will deliver and hide peanut-safe treat-filled eggs at homes all over Franklin, Brentwood, and Bellevue, on Friday and Saturday, April 19th and 20th. For an additional $10, the team will deliver a dozen glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts with the order. More details and online ordering is available at https://bunnysquad2019.eventbrite.com. Other dates may be available upon request for those interested in hiring the Bunny Squad for larger community events.
When placing an order on the Eventbrite site, patrons can also choose to provide Easter Eggs for a great cause. The team is also asking donors to help provide a special Easter for two non-profit organizations. The Easter Bunny and Bunny Squad will make an appearance and hide Easter eggs on April 13th for Vanderbilt Housestaff Alliance, which supports the families of residents and fellows in medical training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. On April 19th, they will host the annual Easter Egg hunt for Franklin Boys & Girls Club, which is special for the team because they volunteer at the Club every Thursday.
“This is our third year to bring the Bunny Squad to families in our area, and we’re really excited to partner with these two great non-profits for the first time to help host Easter Egg hunts for the kids and families they serve,” says team member Sean Dick. “My favorite thing last year was having parents bring out their little kids, still in their pajamas, to say hi to us. It is just a lot of fun for us, and for them, and we’re so grateful that people are helping support our team.”
In addition, the Bunny Squad has partnered with Big Frog Custom Shirts and More of Franklin to give away egg hunts of 160 eggs each to three lucky winners through a social media campaign. The contest begins April 1st on Instagram, @BigFrogNashville, and winners will be announced on April 12. Big Frog Custom Shirts designed the Bunny Squad logo and shirts for the team, and prints the event t-shirts each year for Tennessee Destination Imagination’s State Tournament.
In the past two years, the Bunny Squad has delivered and hidden over 4,000 Easter Eggs as part their successful fundraisers. Some participants have given visits from the Bunny Squad a gift to friends, while others have had asked the team to stuff their eggs with Monopoly ™ money, for teenagers who were able to trade in the colorful cash for real money from their parents.
The four students of the Bunny Squad have collectively participated in the STEAM-based after-school Challenge Program Destination Imagination for 17 years, and last year were ranked 8th in the world at Global Finals. This year, their team (also known as the Awkwardly, Placed Commas) participated in the Service Learning Challenge, leading a group of second graders at Franklin Boys & Girls Club in the Rising Stars Challenge of Destination Imagination, a non-competitive Challenge for young students.
Destination Imagination is a non-profit, STEAM-based after-school program for students from kindergarten through college. Teams of students choose from one of seven main challenges (Scientific, Technological, Engineering, Fine Arts, Improvisational, Service Learning, and Rising Stars) and come up with unique solutions, without adult advice or direction, that are presented at Tournaments. At these events, they also complete short five to eight minute Instant Challenges, that also help students with collaboration, creativity, and on-the-spot problem solving. The year culminates in Global Finals, which brings over 1,400 teams from all over the world together to showcase their creativity. This year’s Global Finals will be held in Kansas City, MO, in late May.
To place an order from the Bunny Squad, go online to https://bunnysquad2019.eventbrite.com.
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