McALLEN — As Texas began reopening for business this month, the McAllen Parks and Recreation Department set in motion preparations for this year’s Easter holiday by reopening some amenities and hosting its inaugural Bunny Hop 2K run, a four-day virtual event for kids in which they can participate at local parks.
Gov. Greg Abbott announced in early March the lifting of the mask mandate and returning the capacity for businesses and facilities back to 100%.
The city of McAllen kept their parks open last year for fitness and exercise, but the city did not open playground equipment for children until the beginning of February. As of March 10, Parks and Rec had reopened all of those sections for kids and families to enjoy.
Despite fully reopening, the Parks and Rec department encourages those visiting the green spaces and celebrating the Easter holiday to practice good hygiene and continue following guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Because we expect multiple people using the same spaces throughout the day, we would recommend that they clean up between uses,” Deputy Director of McAllen Parks and Recreation Sarai Garcia said in a city of McAllen YouTube video.
The city has also implemented a cleaning schedule for its parks on Mondays and Fridays.
Since the Bunny Hop is a virtual event, families participating don’t necessarily need to worry about wiping down play stations or picnic tables. They can run at their convenience and their favorite locations. Parents are encouraged to submit a finish-line photo to the city once the run is complete.
“That’s the beauty of a virtual event,” said Carina Jimenez, administrator of marketing and special events at McAllen Parks and Recreation. “Parents can run it with their children anywhere they are comfortable participating.”
The virtual event runs from April 1 to April 4 and is for kids ages 2 to 8.
Registration starts at $10 per participant.
Participants will receive a swag bag filled with goodies, including a T-shirt, a race bib and a finisher medal in the shape of a bunny that glows in the dark.
To register, parents can go online to www.mcallenparks.net and call Palm View Community Center at (956) 681-3360 for more information.
