HP_041819

10 | April 18, 2019 | The highland park landmark community
hplandmark.com
Bamba
Submitted by the Marck
family
This is our cat Bamba.
We rescued him
from Save a Pet in
Grayslake. We named
him Bamba because
he is the same color
as the Israeli peanut
snack we love to eat called Bamba. We love him,
we brush him and we snuggle with him. He likes
to sit on our laps. He likes to eat treats. He likes
to sleep a lot and pounce on our toes under a
blanket. He also likes to play with our socks when
we leave them on the floor. He is a great pet.
To see your pet featured as Pet of the Week, send a photo
and information to Editor Erin Yarnall at erin@hplandmark.com.
Easter Bunny has breakfast,
spends time with local residents
Hilary Anderson
Freelance Reporter
There was no mistaking
the Easter Bunny was
there.
His bunny paw prints
led up to the place where
children and adults alike
took advantage of the once
a year occasion when the
Bunny takes time off from
his busy schedule to have
breakfast with his believers
and admirers.
They met at the Highland
Park Country Club last Saturday,
April 13 where more
than 80 people had breakfast
with him followed by
an outside egg hunt.
“The Bunny asked us to
provide a great breakfast
for his friends,” said Sara
Stanke, recreation supervisor
at the Park District of
Highland Park.
“So we made sure there
were eggs, bacon, waffles,
potatoes, fruit, muffins and
much more for our guests.
Of course, there was orange
juice, too.”
The Bunny’s friends
dressed up for this special
occasion. Michelle Senin,
5, dressed for her breakfast
with the Bunny. She
had a headband with rabbit
ears that no one could
miss, plus a sparkly jacket
that covered her dress. On
the bodice of the dress was
a big sparkly picture of the
Bunny himself.
“My mom got these for
me as a surprise,” said Michelle,
who was there with
her dad and mom Andrey
and Ilona. “I have a stuffed
rabbit at home. Her name
is Lily.”
Sitting next to her was
her best friend Madison
Arditti, 6, who also wore
a headband. Her’s had rabbit
ears but were made out
of wire wrapped with pink,
blue and white flowers.
Madison wore a bunny
[spring] dress. Her Bitty
Baby doll was lucky
enough to have a matching
dress.
Madison invited her
mom and dad, Ben and
Kristy Arditti, to come
with her to see the Bunny.
“I love decorating the
house for the holidays,”
Kristy Arditti said. “It is
one of my favorite holidays.
This Breakfast with the
Bunny is part of our holiday
celebration. It is so cute.”
Even some grandparents
came with their grandchildren.
Solomon Ruttenberg,
7, and sister, Sasha,
5, brought their grandfather,
Barnett with them.
“We have been coming
for several years and
always enjoy this time together,”
Barnett said.
There was much to do
besides eat. There were
individual photos with the
Bunny for starters. Each
guest received a plush, yellow
chicken to take home.
Maxwell Danielson,
2, began a game of catch
with his father, Kevin.
The Bunny invited magician
Ken Mate to the
breakfast. He entertained
the guests and showed
them how to juggle.
“He was hard to miss
with his extremely colorful
suit jacket, vest and shirt,”
laughed Liz Gogola, Marketing
Director of Park
District of Highland Park.
“My daughter bought
me this Oppo jacket and
another one,” said Mate.
“I guess she wanted to find
me easily in a crowd.”
Mate continued entertaining
the crowd. He
Max (left to right), Suzana, Martin, Vanessa, and Mateo
Flores pose with the Easter Bunny at Highland Park
Country Club on Saturday, April 13. Photo by Nicole
Carrow/22nd Century Media
made things disappear
and reappear again and
pulled long scarves out
of someone’s hair. Mate
continued making the
Bunny’s guests laugh and
wonder how he did the
tricks. Some became his
assistants.
One of them was Zoey
Haycock, 3. She brought
her new sister, Skylar, 5
months, who wore her
bunny bib for the occasion.
Skylar watched some
of the action between
drinking her bottle and being
carried around by her
parents Chad and Lesley
Haycock.
Soon it was time to go
outside for the egg hunt.
The Bunny scattered his
eggs in two areas in the
field so everyone would
have a good chance of getting
some.
Eha Gupta, 6, held her
plush bunny in her arms.
The bunny had its own
blue sweater. Eha wore a
beautiful wreath of blue
and white flowers in her
hair that matched the blue
in her bunny’s sweater.
She gave her bunny to
her mother just as the egg
hunt was about to begin.
The signal started—five,
four, three, two…
“One,” shouted Stanke
and mass of young feet
ran, picked up eggs and
put them in their baskets,
buckets or bags.
Parents with their cell
phones out recorded the
memorable event.
“Augustinius, pick up
the eggs and put them in
your bag,” called the threeyear
old’s mother, Erin,
more than once.
The kids quickly picked
up the eggs. Amelie Stanis
had 10 eggs in her basket.
Her sister, Ivy picked up
seven and brother Sigmondi
found five.
Charlotte Ocepek, 5,
counted 10 eggs. “The
food was good, the magician
great and this egg
hunt was fun,” said Charlotte’s
mother. “We had a
blast!”