Almost 300 children stuck in area hospitals received special Easter baskets filled with candy and toys, thanks to a generous Wausau couple.

Last weekend, Trista Dolphin, 24, and her husband, Nicholas, 28, and some of their friends gathered in the Dolphins' basement to put together the baskets. They filled them with jelly beans and chocolate eggs -- of course -- plus puzzles, books and little toys. On Saturday, the group picked up the baskets and distributed them to young patients at Aspirus Wausau Hospital, Saint Clare's Hospital in Weston and Saint Joseph's Children's Hospital in Marshfield.

It was the culmination of hours of toil on the part of Trista Dolphin, who started her project -- The Bunny Hop -- last year. In 2009, the group put together 100 baskets, and gave most of them to children at Saint Joseph's Hospital.

The project has tripled in size mostly because the stubborn drive of Trista Dolphin, who is motivated by memories of watching her prematurely born son fight for his life. She has recruited friends and relatives to her cause and enlisted the support of groups such as the March of Dimes Foundation. She has worked the phones, calling candy and toy companies to ask for donations. And she and Nicholas Dolphin also have supported the project with cash; they've donated about $500 for the baskets each year.
Sweet success

Although The Bunny Hop is only in its second year, it really got its start more than four years ago, on Sept. 30, 2005.

And a very happy Easter to you and yours 93z.

"vikesrule" wrote:

Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams celebrated Good Friday by giving away more than 300 Easter dinners to needy South Florida families, saying his effort was part of a broader realization, toward the end of his NFL career, that he wants to make positive contributions to society off the football field.

"There should be some benefit to us being here, besides entertainment and playing football,'' Williams said. "We all make pretty good money, so I think, especially in hard economic times, we should have more of a presence.''

Williams was joined by volunteers including several of his teammates as well as his new agent, Drew Rosenhaus. As we've previously noted and the Miami Herald points out, the hiring of Rosenhaus was a strong signal that Williams doesn't plan on the 2010 season being his last.

But even as he prepares for a future in football, he's also expanding his focus beyond football.

"I do want to make my presence felt -- more than just on the football field," Williams told the Sun-Sentinel. "I wasn't sure about doing a big production like this, but when I realized how much help I could get by doing it like this, I jumped on it."