Kids rejoice as 45,000 Easter eggs drop from the sky

In bunny ears, with painted faces, holding baskets, they watched.

First as a black helicopter flew into view against a big blue sky, and then as tens of thousands of multi-coloured plastic eggs dropped from the heavens.

“Wow,” gasped a little girl wearing a heart polka-dot sweater at the front of the line, where she had earlier proudly proclaimed, “I’m the first one!”

In moments, she was gone, running toward the eggs, ready to hunt.

#WeheartOttawa, a not-for-profit group launched in 2008, organized what was arguably the coolest Easter egg hunt the city’s ever seen on Saturday, dropping some 45,000 eggs filled with more than 100,000 pieces of chocolate over the grounds of the aviation museum for thousands of kids chanting, “Drop the eggs.”

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GALLERY: Great Ottawa Egg Drop Thousands gathered at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum on Saturday as 45,000 Easter eggs were dropped from a helicopter. Two and a half year old Cloe Rose Horrigan was all smiles at the Ottawa Egg Drop that took place in the fields at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum Saturday April 15, 2017. Ashley Fraser/Postmedia Ashley Fraser/Postmedia

The Ottawa Egg Drop took place in the fields at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum Saturday April 15, 2017. Ashley Fraser/Postmedia Ashley Fraser/Postmedia

Two and a half year old Cloe Rose Horrigan was all smiles at the Ottawa Egg Drop that took place in the fields at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum Saturday April 15, 2017. Ashley Fraser/Postmedia Ashley Fraser/Postmedia

Teti Kabetu dressed as T Bunny talks to three year old birthday boy Nathan Mulligan at the Ottawa Egg Drop that took place in the fields at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum Saturday April 15, 2017. Ashley Fraser/Postmedia Ashley Fraser/Postmedia

One year old Lucas Vincelli tries to sneak in to get an egg but his sister six year old Leah stopped him at the Ottawa Egg Drop took place in the fields at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum Saturday April 15, 2017. Ashley Fraser/Postmedia Ashley Fraser/Postmedia

Two year old Lillian Armstrong had the perfect hat for the Ottawa Egg Drop that took place in the fields at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum Saturday April 15, 2017. Ashley Fraser/Postmedia Ashley Fraser/Postmedia

Teti Kabetu, aka 'T Bunny,' gets ready to race 10-year-old Cameron Nobbs at the Ottawa Egg Drop event at the Aviation and Space Museum Saturday, April 15.. Ashley Fraser/Postmedia

Egghunter Finley, aged four, shows off his score at the Ottawa Egg Drop at the Aviation Parkway on Saturday, April 15. Shaamini Yogaretnam/Postmedia

“T-Bunny,” a.k.a. Teti Kabetu, wearing a pink bunny suit and black Nikes, entertained the masses.

Kids sat on the grass, opening the eggs and eating their spoils, as Silento’s Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) played on the loudspeaker.

“I got some Easter eggs,” said little lamb Cloe Rose Horrigan, two (and a half), with just a little bit of chocolate still on her face.

For organizer Shawn Gabie, 33, “It’s a way to give back to our community.” About 200 volunteers with the organization, all wearing sleek black hoodies emblazoned with the group’s hashtag, are all part of Kingdom Culture, a Christian church where Gabie and his wife, Michelle, are pastors. Other sponsors came on board to donate prizes and resources to help make the event possible.

The group watched a video of a similar drop in 2006 and thought it would be cool to try the same thing in Ottawa. Their first attempt last year didn’t work out, so they tried again in 2017.

“We’re just thankful that we can invest into our city with really no agenda than to just give back.”

Gabie said nearly 3,000 kids had registered for the event but he didn’t have final numbers for the day’s attendees. As far as whether he and his team will try to top themselves next year?

“Who knows,” he said. “Who knows.”