An auxiliary police force will be used to keep the peace at Warsaw's 13th annual Easter egg hunt.

The event will be held Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Center Lake Complex.

Despite problems with overbearing parents last year and initial plans to cancel this year's event, the city's new park activities director decided to give it another try.

But he's doing it with the help of six to eight members of KEMRAD.

"A lot of people in this community that I talked to were really surprised I was going to do the event again," said activities director Andy McCleary. "I'm doing the event because it's such a tradition."

"It's unfortunate there was controversy," said McCleary. "This time of year isn't meant for pushing, fighting, shoving and bad-mouthing each other."

Former activities director Denise Beno was so upset with last year's event that she threatened to cancel future hunts. Most of the problems stemmed from parents' behavior.

"This past weekend is one of the most holy of Christian holidays, yet the ugliest of humanity was what was represented at the egg hunt," wrote Beno in a letter to the editor of the Times-Union last year.

This year, only the 2-3 age division will be allowed to have parents with them while collecting eggs.

McCleary believes, however, parents won't need to be with that group, either. He said the eggs will be hidden in the open and should be easy for the children to find.

"The Easter egg hunt is meant to be a time of celebration and not meant to be a big fiasco," said McCleary. "Easter isn't all about candy, eggs and prizes. There's a lot more meaning to it than that. It would be a shame if the Easter egg hunt ends the way it did last year."

If fate repeats itself, McCleary said he would evaluate the event and decide whether to hold the egg hunt again next year.

But he remains confident the event will go well.

More than 100 prizes will be available. [[In-content Ad]]