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Look! Up in the sky! It’s the Easter chopper, delivering sweet treats to the Northeast!

It was a Philadelphia first: an aerially assisted Easter egg hunt in Northeast Philadelphia.

    By
  • Brad Larrison
    • April 20, 2019
A helicopter dropped thousands of Easter eggs on to the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)

A helicopter dropped thousands of Easter eggs on to the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)

After a morning of overcast skies and light rain, another type of precipitation fell Saturday afternoon at the River Fields off State Road in Northeast Philadelphia. Pastel pink, green, yellow and blue eggs dropped from a helicopter a few hundred feet above as an estimated 1,500 children lined up to charge the field and gather them up.

It was a Philadelphia first, put on by Tacony’s CityReach Church and City Councilman Bobby Henon — an aerially assisted Easter egg hunt inspired by a church in Florida and its helicopter egg drop last year.

Onlookers pointed and took cellphone videos as the chopper made its approach and hovered,  dropping an estimated 30,000 Easter eggs onto the field. The majority of the plastic eggs were filled with candy, though 500 “golden eggs” contained cash and gift certificates.

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  • Children wait for the arrival of a helicopter that would drop thousands of Easter eggs on the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Children wait for the arrival of a helicopter that would drop thousands of Easter eggs on the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • A helicopter containing a payload of an estimated 30,000 Easter eggs made its way toward the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    A helicopter containing a payload of an estimated 30,000 Easter eggs made its way toward the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Anticipation grows as a helicopter approached to drop an estimated 30,000 Easter eggs on the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Anticipation grows as a helicopter approached to drop an estimated 30,000 Easter eggs on the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Volunteers toss large easter eggs before the arrival of a helicpoter that dropped thousands of Easter eggs at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Volunteers toss large easter eggs before the arrival of a helicpoter that dropped thousands of Easter eggs at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • A helicopter dropped thousands of Easter eggs on to the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    A helicopter dropped thousands of Easter eggs on to the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • A helicopter dropped thousands of Easter eggs on to the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    A helicopter dropped thousands of Easter eggs on to the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Following the Easter Egg drop children ran to collect them at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Following the Easter Egg drop children ran to collect them at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)

As the helicopter flew away and the field opened, a quick but polite scrum ensued when the children, separated by age group, made a mad dash to gather as many eggs as they could.

 

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  • Following the Easter Egg drop children and some adults ran to collect them at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Following the Easter Egg drop children and some adults ran to collect them at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Following the Easter Egg drop children and some adults ran to collect them at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Following the Easter Egg drop children and some adults ran to collect them at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Following the Easter Egg drop children and some adults ran to collect them at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Following the Easter Egg drop children and some adults ran to collect them at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Following the Easter Egg drop children and some adults ran to collect them at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Following the Easter Egg drop children and some adults ran to collect them at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Children search for Easter eggs at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday after a helicopter dropped an estimated 30,000 eggs. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Children search for Easter eggs at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday after a helicopter dropped an estimated 30,000 eggs. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Following the Easter Egg drop children and some adults ran to collect them at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Following the Easter Egg drop children and some adults ran to collect them at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Children with their hall of Easter eggs at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday after a helicopter dropped an estimated 30,000 eggs. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Children with their hall of Easter eggs at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday after a helicopter dropped an estimated 30,000 eggs. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Children search for Easter eggs at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday after a helicopter dropped an estimated 30,000 eggs. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Children search for Easter eggs at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday after a helicopter dropped an estimated 30,000 eggs. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Children search for Easter eggs at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday after a helicopter dropped an estimated 30,000 eggs. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Children search for Easter eggs at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday after a helicopter dropped an estimated 30,000 eggs. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Children with their hall of Easter eggs at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday after a helicopter dropped an estimated 30,000 eggs. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Children with their hall of Easter eggs at the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia Saturday after a helicopter dropped an estimated 30,000 eggs. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
  • Children and parents left the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia with their hall of Easter eggs after a helicopter dropped an estimated 30,000 eggs. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)
    Children and parents left the River Fields in Northeast Philadelphia with their hall of Easter eggs after a helicopter dropped an estimated 30,000 eggs. (Brad Larrison for WHYY)

The field was emptied in a matter of minutes.

The event also featured food, games and prizes, and the church distributed Easter meals to those in need.

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