Coronavirus In Colorado: Easter Eggs To Be Delivered As COVID-19 Shuts Down Major Egg Hunt

TIMNATH, Colo. (CBS4) - A popular annual Easter egg hunt put on by Living Rock Church will not be fully canceled due to coronavirus. The annual hunt typically takes place in a park in the Town of Timnath. However, church organizers were forced to switch to delivering eggs to young children as a result of Colorado stay-at-home laws.

"Over the years it has turned in to thousands of people who come,"said Brandi Parrish, a church volunteer and wife of Pastor Kelly Parrish. "We were given social distancing orders, we realized this probably wasn't going to be a reality this year. We were super sad because we put a ton of work in to it."

With hundreds of families still hoping to celebrate Easter in the safety and comfort of their homes, the Living Rock Church congregation assembled a delivery opportunity. In a matter of hours, hundreds of families signed up online to have some of the 15,000 eggs delivered to their doorsteps.

"God is not quarantined right now. Faith, hope and love are still essential," Kelly said. "That is something we all need right now, more than ever."

The church consulted with local health officials and doctors to make sure their plans followed Colorado state, and CDC, guidelines.

"We've worn lots of gloves and used paper bags, and been really careful," Brandi told CBS4's Dillon Thomas.

Delivery drivers were allowed to leave their homes to participate as they were delivering consumable items for others. Those delivery drivers were assigned pickup times to avoid congregating among others. And, they were assigned to never make contact with the people inside the homes they were delivering to. Bags of candy and eggs were left at doorsteps, without doorbells being touched.

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The drivers stopped at more than 200 homes across eight different towns and cities.

"We were incredibly surprised by the numbers of people who signed up," Kelly said.

"I wish we could see the faces of all the kids when they open their doors" Brandi said.

"My kids love it," said Misti Tigges, a recipient of the eggs. "So much has been removed from their lives lately, I was excited to give them something to look forward to."

The church is a growing congregation which currently meets in a small room at a lawn mower manufacturing facility in Timnath.

As they prepare to celebrate one of the most important times of the year in the Christian faith, the Parrish family said they wouldn't let COVID-19 stop them from celebrating the Resurrection of Jesus Christ with their community.

"We are all feeling isolated. We are all feeling a sense of discontinuity," Kelly said. "To be able to bring life that is in this season to the community is a privilege."

"We just pray, and hope, that it brings joy to families in these days while they are stuck at home," Brandi said.