Marion

Proxyn had fun hunting eggs hidden by Sommers and her team.

By Melissa Gibson

Throughout the month of March, Christy Sommers will stuff hundreds of Easter eggs for her Egg Your House Easter Delivery business she began six years ago.

The Brownsburg resident saw something similar in a social media post out of Texas and noticed no one in the area was providing the service.

“I started with an egg your house and it’s grown,” Sommers said. “Each year I add something different. In addition to the eggs, I’ve done Easter baskets, frisbees… this year is a bubble wand and if you want to purchase additional wands, that’s also an option.”

Sommers offers several packages. To have 30 eggs hidden in your yard costs $40 and the packages increase to 150 eggs for $130. She also has teen and adult eggs that include Chapstick, socks, and $1-$2 Amazon gift certificates.

“I think it’s definitely for the convenience,” Sommers said. “Parents with kids are super busy and I get so many compliments because the parents get to enjoy it as much as the kids do. They also don’t know where the eggs are hidden so it’s a surprise for them too.”

As she’s grown, Sommers has taken the time to provide a little something extra.

Each customer gets a sign in the front yard saying the Easter Bunny has been there, a letter from the Easter Bunny is left at the front door, the eggs are filled with quality toys, stickers, temporary tattoos and name brand wrapped candy.

As one can imagine, stuffing hundreds of eggs for clients across Hendricks County, Zionsville and Whitestown, makes it necessary for Sommers to stay extremely organized.

She’s set up a system for families to alert the bunny he’s at the correct house and just like Santa, the magic happens all in one night.

“My entire family helps me. I have kids in their 20’s and we have several drivers that go out on that Saturday night,” Sommers said. “I do get orders for the weekend before, for Palm Sunday but the majority is for Easter morning.”

Though she accepts orders until the last week, some packages will sell out. At a certain point, the time it takes to prepare the order will exceed the time Sommers has in a day.

“Right now, I’m filling eggs. I buy a lot of eggs post-Easter the year before and I have the toys, but I buy the candy fresh and still have a lot to go,” Sommers said. “I also have several businesses that are working with me. I get coupons for Ice Barn for a free slushie and coupons for pizza.”

Overall, it’s the enjoyment of seeing the kids faces on Easter morning.

Many enjoy the tradition of dressing up, family events and of course, the annual Easter Egg hunt.

Sommers and her crew get back home in the early hours of Easter morning and shortly begin receiving photos and videos of happy families.

“I love the videos and pictures. It’s so cute to see those come through,” Sommers said. “We’re all exhausted and half asleep and it makes it all worth it.”

Sommers plans to expand as she moves forward. She has supplies for birthday party hunts, glow in the dark hunts at night and all the flamingo’s necessary to flamingo a front yard in honor of a special birthday or anniversary.

Once the Easter chaos is over, she’ll begin advertising for additional options throughout the year.

To order your own Egg Your House experience, visit Facebook at Egg Your House – Delivery and click on the google order form. Customers can also text Sommers at 317-258-6321.

The Avon Alumni Association host the annual Alumni Banquet on Saturday, April 30, in the Avon Advanced Learning Center Café. Social time will start at 4 p.m. and the dinner at 6 p.m., catered by Cochran’s Catering & Cakes.

Robert ‘Bobby’ Nibbs, Avon Class of 1970, has been selected as Alumnus of the Year and will be the guest speaker. Robert holds an MBA from Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Business and MA/BS degrees from Ball State University. Robert is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity. Robert has held executive level positions with XO Communications, The Uriel Group, KMC Telecom holdings and several Telecommunications Corporations.

As a result of previous cancellations, we will be honoring three 50 year Alumni classes: 1970, 1971 and 1972. Consequently, we are anticipating a larger than normal turnout. Advance reservations are highly recommended in order to insure adequate seating and catering arrangements. We will be accepting reservations on a ‘first come, first serve’ basis. Walk-ins are highly discouraged and will be denied if we are reserved at maximum capacity. Masks will be optional.

The cost for attending the banquet is $30 per person. Please send checks only, payable to the Avon Alumni Association, attention: Avon Alumni Association c/o 233 North County Road 900 East, Avon, Indiana 46123 with names of all persons attending. Please include the year of graduation for all alumni with your reservation.

For further information call 317.850.9410 or 317.273.1947

The Advanced Learning Cafeteria (ALC) is located on the east side of Avon High School, 7575 East County Road 150 South, Avon, Ind., at door #12..

Visit Hendricks County Executive Director Jaime Bohler Smith received one of the state’s most prestigious tourism honors this week.

Smith was named Member of the Year during the Indiana Tourism Association’s annual conference, which brings together tourism leaders from across the state for professional development and advocacy of the Indiana tourism industry. The announcement marked the first time anyone from Visit Hendricks County has ever received the award.

“When it comes to Jaime, what you see is what you get. And what you get is a bold leader not afraid of trying new things without ever losing sight of the important and necessary work she and her team do every day at Visit Hendricks County,” said Rob DeCleene, Indiana Tourism Association (ITA) Board President and Visit South Bend Mishawaka Executive Director. “Jaime truly emulates what an ITA member of the year should, day in and day out. Her team is better because of that, her destination is better because of that, and her statewide industry and

Listen to HSO Online

The Hendricks Symphony Orchestra is offering new and encore performance on their website, www.HendricksSymphony. org. Click on “Media” then on “Recordings.”

New listening options will be added from time to time, so check back often!

Donations toward thes HSO’s 2020-2021 season may be made by visiting the “Donate” page on the website.

Medicare Assistance

If you will be turning 65 soon and need help understanding all the confusing information about Medicare benefits and options, volunteer counselors are available to assist you.

SHIP (State Health Insurance Plan) has trained, qualified, and unbiased counselors available at no cost to you. They can answer your questions, help you understand the choices you have, and explain enrollment period deadlines.

They can also assist with other Medicare issues such as financial aid, transitioning from Social Security Disability or HIP to Medicare. To make an appointment with a SHIP counselor anytime during the year, please call Hendricks County Senior Services at 317-745-4303.

JAMIE BOHLER SMITH

association are all better because of that.”

Smith joined Visit Hendricks County in 2002 and has grown the organization to more than $2 million in tax collections and eight employees while serving in marketing, sales, communications and administration. Prior to returning to her hometown in Hendricks County, Jaime worked as the Brown County CVB Sales Manager for three years. Smith shared during her acceptance speech her first tourism job included fulfilling the catering orders for the Capital Improvement Board (CIB) meetings, and now she sits at that same table as a member of the CIB.

“It is a surreal experience at times knowing where I started my career to where I am now,” Smith said. “I’ve grown up in this industry and it’s quite an honor to be recognized by my peers who I have admired for many years.”

Among her many accomplishments at Visit Hendricks County, she worked on a collaborative tax increase with the county that allowed a move from 5% to 8% innkeeper’s tax with a share to the county for the use to develop a county park, and county fairgrounds or a county promotion. Since 2008, both the Hendricks County Parks and Recreation and the Hendricks County 4-H Fairgrounds have received more than $3 million because of this collaboration. She also spearheaded a redevelopment project that brought a new 175-room, full-service Embassy Suites Hotel and 25,000-squarefoot conference space to Plainfield. She worked tirelessly with local and state stakeholders to make what had become a decade-long dream a reality. This project was a first in the county and brought added economic development through conference and tourism business as well as jobs to the county.

Under her direction, Hendricks County continues to flourish with record numbers each year in hotel stays and visitor spending all while developing and expanding new programming.

Jaime also is a tourism industry leader and mentor across the state to so many. She is current Past President of the ITA having previously served as the Vice President and President, chairman of the ITA’s Government Relations committee, an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Tourism, Event and Sport Management at IUPUI and current member on the Capital Improvement Board of Managers of Marion County.

The Hendricks County Tourism Commission d/b/a Visit Hendricks County attracts visitors to the county by promoting and developing tourism, which stimulates economic growth and enhances quality of life. Find us on Facebook at Facebook.com/VisitHendricksCounty and become a fan for updates, contest info and more. You can also follow on Twitter @ HendricksCounty or get updates by following our tourism blog at VisitHendricksCounty.com/blog. For more information, visit VisitHendricksCounty.com or call (317) 718-8750.

Chili Supper Fundraiser at Christ Lutheran For Project Homeless

Project Homeless will host a Chili Supper fundraiser on Friday, April 8, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church, 701 E. Tilden Dr., Brownsburg, Ind. 46112.

Enjoy chili, salad, and drinks for a free will offering.

Project Homeless is an organization serving the greater Indianapolis area, providing food and clothing for people living on the streets. It also helps the homeless with transportation needs, and, when they are ready to get off the street, with new living arrangements.

Project Homeless was started in 2006 by Ed Calton, who knows a lot about the needs of people living on the streets because he was once homeless himself. Project Homeless works closely with St. Augustine Episcopal Church, Danville, St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, Plainfield, Bartlett Chapel United Methodist Church, Avon, and St. Susanna Catholic Church, Plainfield.

For more information, or to make a donation, visit projecthomelessindy.org.