Beeping egg production underway for annual inclusive Easter egg hunt

The Edmonton Police Service bomb unit is working on a very important mission, its annual beeping eggs project for kids with poor eyesight.

Preparations for the fifth annual inclusive Easter egg hunt on March 28, for which Edmonton Police Service’s bomb squad rigs the eggs to beep, are underway.

Those involved with the project met on Tuesday to install a simple circuit in an extra 60 3D-printed eggs, increasing their inventory of 200 made in previous years.

“There’s so many kids that are finding them so quickly and efficiently now that we’re actually going to rehide the eggs while the event is happening. So this year, we’re hoping to have a little bit more to give ourselves more of a break,” explained Brian Katchur, a detective with the financial crimes unit.

He was inspired by a similar initiative called the Rachel Project in the U.S. to approach the Edmonton Police Foundation (EPF) with the idea.

The auditory cues enable young people who are either blind or have low vision to participate in a popular tradition.

According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind, 1.5 million Canadians identify as having sight loss. About 5.6 million more have an eye disease that could cause sight loss.

“I’ve seen kids their first year being very timid and needing help and guidance, to the second year where they’ve been able to go by themselves, do it on their own,” Katchur said.

“I get emotional over it.”

He said bomb technicians are perfectly suited to help with the project given their nature as tinkerers.

The cost to make each egg is about $10, covered by a grant provided by the EPF.

“This is really important for the foundation to be able to utilize the unique skillsets of the Edmonton Police Service members and to connect them to community. Policing isn’t just about enforcement, but it is about compassion, service… and connecting one another,” said Jillene Lakevold, EPF’s vice chair.

Registration and more information about the event at Telus World of Science Edmonton is available online.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Brandon Lynch