The Flint Hills Optimist Club has a busy few weeks ahead, starting this upcoming Saturday.
The club will be hosting the annual Optimist Basketball Classic featuring seniors from around the area inside White Auditorium Saturday evening. Event director and Optimist member Ken Hanson, a recent guest of KVOE’s Morning Show, says activities officially begin Monday with the annual banquet leading into Saturday’s games, which will begin at 6 pm with the girls’ all-star game.
Just before that contest tips off, all participants in the classic will have a chance to show off their shooting skills in the annual 3-point contest, which begins at 5 pm. Hanson says the classic is an event the club looks forward to each year, not just for the competition, but for what it means to the competitors, their families and their communities.
The cost to attend the all-star classic is $10 per person and the game will be broadcast on KVOE and KVOE.com. Proceeds from the games go to benefit programs and activities through the Optimists, including the annual Easter Egg Hunt, which will take place the following weekend at Jones Park.
According to Hanson, over 15,000 pieces of candy will be spread throughout the park and will likely be gone in under 10 minutes, as has been tradition. As normal, there will be search areas for children ages 2 and below, ages 3-4, ages 5-7, ages 8-9 and children with special needs.
Hanson says seeing the tradition continue within families for generations has always been a high point for him with the hunt each year.
The hunt will begin at 10 am on April 4th and is free to attend. As always, parking will be limited at the park, so families are encouraged to arrive early.
