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By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Colorful eggs were hidden around Washington Place yesterday
for the Easter hunt, and Alexia Francis, 18 months, and Emily
Uyeda, 6, played a game of in and out. Emily had so many eggs,
she was returning some, but Alexia kept putting
them back into the basket.

Oahu families roll
out for egg hunt

While the kids collect the bounty,
the parents enjoy a look at historic
Washington Place, the home of
Governor and Mrs. Cayetano

By Leila Fujimori
Star-Bulletin

Six-year-old Mack Ocariza woke his mom on Easter morning and asked, "Can we go to Governor Cayetano's house today?"

His mother, Priscilla Ocariza of Kailua, obliged. She dressed Mack in a red and white aloha shirt and his 11-month-old brother Gabriel in his white baptismal outfit to join about 900 other families on the lawn at Washington Place for loads of Easter fun.

First Lady Vicky Cayetano hosted the free event and, along with the governor, welcomed visitors to tour the historic residence. "It's a great joy to see all the families come out," she said. "We all know the Queen's love for the children. I really want to see this tradition continue."

By Kathryn Bender, Star-Bulletin
Families hunt for Easter gold on the grounds of Washington Place.

Cayetano gave the signal commencing the Easter egg hunt at 11:30 a.m.

But some girls present were not allowed to hunt for Easter eggs. They were the 100 Girl Scouts who hid about 6,000 eggs, and at the same time earned points toward the Onipa, a merit badge created by Cayetano to encourage learning about the history of Washington Place.

"I had a blast," said Girl Scout Alysha Kraft, 11. "I feel I did good for the younger ones." Fellow scout Ginger Thompson, 9, hid 240 plastic eggs filled with jelly beans. What were their favorite hiding places?

"Look up high in the trees," hinted Elizabeth Westbrook, 10.

But 8-month-old Braden Kauhane needed help. His cousin Tianee Ramones, 7, shared the eggs she found.

Although it was Braden's first Easter, first time being on grass, and first time at Washington Place, his parents, Scott and Michelle Kauhane, were well acquainted with the residence. Scott, security for the residence, noted, "There are a lot of people, but everybody's behaving."

Not all the parents were familiar with Washington Place, however.

"Is this where the governor works?" asked Shiling Liu. She and her husband, Xiuwen Ziang, students from China, came at their son James' urging.

Although Joe and Miki Loscalzo are from Maili, they had never been to Washington Place and came because their sons Zachary, 8, and Dylan, 6, brought home a flyer from school about the event.

Mom Miki enjoyed the tour of the house. "It was beautiful," she said. "I loved the koa piano."