“The Johnson family is no longer going to put on the annual Cordova Easter Egg hunt at Nirvana park, that we have done for about 50 years,” wrote Linda Ecolano on one of the Cordova community Facebook pages.
Hosting the Easter Egg Hunt was a tradition passed to Ecolano by her mother and father. It continued thanks to community donations and volunteers offering time and help.
This past year came an announcement of relocation of the event. Soon after, people began trying to find solutions, including members of the Nirvana Park Committee, formed in 2016.
The committee, “through a series of public discussion, are working to go back to the gracious, respectful uses of the area,” Cathy Sherman said. The committee is comprised of representatives from the city of Cordova, Native Village of Eyak, the Parks and Rec Department, the Historical Society and Eyak Ancestors.
Although the Nirvana Park Cemetery and Eyak Burial Grounds Heritage Area has seen recreational use for nearly 100 years, the type of recreation has evolved with the use of motorized vehicles. This led to a more disruptive environment and furthering erosion to the land, Sherman said.
“Linda and her whole family blessed Cordova for so long with such a magical experience for our young children, I don’t know a parent out there that doesn’t want to see that kind of magic in their kids’ eyes,” said Heather Richardson who agreed to take over running the event. “I thought about my children not participating in an egg hunt ever again here. That’s when I knew.”
Richardson saw people responding negatively to the location change and event being cancelled.
“As long as there are others who also want to carry on this tradition, we can organize/fund-raise and keep it as close to the same as possible,” she said. “My biggest hope is that there is always a hunt no matter who organizes it or where it takes place, rain or shine, as long as it happens.”
Richardson is currently in the process of gathering event details. More information will be available closer to the event.
