Yesterday morning, hundreds of children participated in the Easter Eggstravaganza, which benefits a charity called Matthew’s Mission. Held at the South Scranton’s Harmon Field, the event included 25,000 Easter eggs, prizes, treats, face paint, games and much more.
Matthew’s Mission is an organization that works to fund special needs programs in memory of Matthew James Newell, who die suddenly from a seizure at the age of 24. The young man had Down syndrome and was known for his generosity.
“My brother Matthew always donated his own money to, say, St. Joseph’s Center of the Friendship House,” explained his sister, Kathleen Haikes. “When he passed away unexpectedly we thought, we’ll keep his name going and do his work for him.”
Ms. Haikes added that the charity depends on the community’s help in order to continue with its mission. For example, the preparation for the Easter Eggstravaganza included an egg-filling party, where volunteers filled almost 20,000 eggs in two hours.
The prizes within the eggs included candy and small toys, while 125 tickets for giant stuffed animals were also among the items found.
Matthew’s Mission also donated additional gifts, including a service dog for 9-year-old Melanie Berardelli. The dog, named Buddy, is trained to sense and deal with seizures like those that plague Melanie.
Melanie’s mother Traci said: “The things that Matthew’s Mission does are just unbelievable.”