COAL GROVE — For the past several years, the VFW Post 8850 Ladies Auxiliary has hosted an Easter egg hunt for area children at Paul Porter Park.

This year, an eager troop of Girl Scout Cadettes is hopping to assist the post for this year’s event.

Dawson-Bryant Girl Scout Troop 1269 is collecting plastic eggs to fill and will help the ladies auxiliary hide the eggs in the park to fulfill a community service requirement to earn a top scouting honor.

The coordinated effort will earn the Cadettes their Girl Scout Silver Award, which is the highest award given to Cadettes who have shown they are dedicated to improving their community.

“They are very excited,” said troop leader Kim Dement. “This is just a really good project for our girls to get out into the community.”

Dement said the girls started an egg collection, with drop-off stations at Community Baptist Church on State Route 243 and the Girl Scout office on Greenup Avenue in Ashland, Ky. So far, more than 350 eggs have been donated.

In addition to the egg collection, the girls will help on the day of the hunt, hiding the eggs in the park, coordinating photo ops with the Easter Bunny and serving refreshments.

This is the first year for the scouts to assist the VFW ladies.

“I thought it was wonderful,” Ladies Auxiliary President Ruth Crawford said of the scouts offer to help. “I was a Brownie in the Girl Scouts when I was growing up.”

This year’s egg hunt is free as always and will be at noon at Paul Porter Park in Coal Grove on April 7 for children ages 1-12. Parents are encouraged to bring their own bags or baskets to collect the eggs, as well as a camera for photos with the Easter Bunny. The egg hunt will be divided into separate age groups.

“We had a wonderful crowd last year,” Crawford said. “We have a good time and it’s all about the kids.”