By Rider Farris | Reporter
Baylor’s Chapter of Habitat for Humanity held its second annual Easter egg hunt fundraising event Wednesday at the Student Union Building Bowl. The event helped raise money for the Waco regional Habitat for Humanity group.
Keller junior Connor Danaszewski, president of Baylor’s Habitat for Humanity organization, said the event was so successful last year that they decided to hold the event again. Attendees had the opportunity to make a donation for the ability to hunt for eggs containing coupons, vouchers and gift cards.
“We just wanted to have something that was fun,” Danaszewski said. “We felt like this wasn’t going to be a drag. We’re older — we thought ‘how fun would it be to go on an Easter egg hunt?’ because we don’t get to do that anymore.”
Members of Baylor Habitat for Humanity started planning the event in January and spent the weeks leading up to the event going around to different businesses asking for prizes to give away at the event. Over 150 coupons or food vouchers were collected and placed into the over 1,200 eggs that were stuffed for the event.
“I was shocked at how many businesses that you walk up and just mention Waco Habitat and suddenly a lightbulb goes off and they go in the back and like ‘here you go’,” Danaszewski said. “And they hand you this huge fat stack of buy-one-get-ones and you’re like ‘sweet’.”
Over the course of the semester, Baylor Habitat works with Waco’s Habitat for Humanity group to conduct repairs and construction projects throughout the community. Every once in a while, members of Baylor Habitat for Humanity will also meet up to help with emergency repairs for those in need. Edwardsville, Ill. junior Austin Pizzini, vice president of Baylor Habitat for Humanity, said the event is an easy way for students to get involved and help out.
“We go out and work hand in hand with Waco Habitat for Humanity helping families build their homes,” Pizzini said. “Otherwise, they would have to hire contractors out to do minuscule tasks that we as an organization can do through our service. It is a great way for students to give back not only to our organization but in an indirect way back to Waco.”
Baylor’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity also volunteers at the biannual half-off sale at the Waco Habitat for Humanity Restore located downtown. This store sells donated home improvement items at a fraction of the cost.
Danaszewski said Baylor Habitat for Humanity wanted to make sure attendees got their money’s worth at the Easter egg hunt event. He said participants had a one-in-seven or one-in-eight chance of getting something good in their egg. He said the event was planned to be a fun way to raise money.
“It’s supporting a good cause,” Danaszewski said. “A lot of people have at least heard of Habitat, or at least heard of it mentioned, but a lot of them aren’t super familiar with the work. And if I can even educate some of the people that are brand new coming out, that’d be a great thing because it really is a great organization to be a part of.”
