It’s a hippety-hopping good time for the family, and it benefits the vital Best Buddies program at Butler Area Senior High School.

The annual Butler’s Best Buddies Eggstravaganza Easter Egg Dash 5K, Bunny Hop 1-mile fun run and walk, and Easter Egg Hunt for children ages 10 and younger will be held March 23, at Art Bernardi Stadium.

The family-friendly event also will feature Butler High student artists providing free face painting, several raffle baskets, and pictures with the Easter Bunny.

Kaitlyn Reges, a special-education teacher and the Best Buddies adviser, said Best Buddies is an international program for students in grades nine through 12 that promotes inclusion by pairing intellectually disabled students with nondisabled students.

The pairs attend an event once per month and communicate weekly, giving intellectually disabled students a buddy at school who includes them in activities.

Reges said the Best Buddies club has 150 to 155 members.

Proceeds from the Eggstravaganza support Best Buddy chapter dues, a student leadership conference attended by some club members, and food or prizes for class parties or other gatherings at school.

The proceeds also benefit the buddy outing assistance program, which pays costs for buddy activities such as going to the movies or bowling.

“Last year, we went to Kennywood, and it was a fantastic experience, because a lot of students don’t get to go to Kennywood with just their friends,” Reges said.

Ava Hindman, a junior at Butler High, is the associate member coordinator for Best Buddies.

“I am the biggest advocate for inclusion, so being a part of that makes me feel like I’m doing my part to make sure everyone is included,” Ava said.

Ava has enjoyed taking her two buddies bowling, to explore nature and the playgrounds at Alameda Park, to McDonald’s, and the arcade at Clearview Mall.

“Over Christmas break, we decorated cookies at my house,” Ava said. “Our families are now very close as well, which is great because I can see him anytime I want.”

While Ava was buddies with Eli Fennick last year, she remains close with him even though he graduated. Her current buddy at school is senior Evan Ellis.

Ava said she learned what the intellectually disabled students go through every day.

“They just keep a positive outlook on life, so now I know anytime something goes wrong, it could always be worse,” she said. “Everybody can have a bad day, but we can all get through it.”

In addition to the memories made with their buddies, Ava thinks the intellectually disabled students learn their buddies are real friends.

“Eli knows he can text me whenever or call me whenever,” she said. “He knows there are boundaries and he can’t be with me 24/7, but he knows I’m always there for him.”

Ava hopes the Eggstravaganza has a good turnout so the Best Buddies program will continue to receive support.

“There’s something for everyone in the family,” she said.

The Easter Egg Dash 5K, for those age 11 and older, will start at 10 a.m., the Bunny Hop at 11 a.m., and the egg hunt at noon.

Those who registered for the 5K or Bunny Hop events are guaranteed a race shirt, while late and race-day registrants will receive a shirt while supplies last.

Free refreshments and snacks will be available to all runners and walkers.

One runner or walker will find a lucky egg in their race bag that means special prizes for that individual, Reges said.

To sign up, visit the race page at runsignup.com/Race/PA/Butler/BestBuddiesEasterEggDash.

The Easter Egg Hunt, recognized by a blogger last year as one of the best in Pennsylvania, will see children in age categories collecting some of the 600-plus eggs that will be placed on the football field, Reges said.

“We do age categories for the egg hunt so every child has the opportunity to collect eggs,” she said.

All eggs will be filled with candy, stickers, temporary tattoos and other small items, but some eggs will contain a tiny voucher for a bigger prize.

“We do have some lucky eggs with grand prizes,” Reges said. “We have bicycles and Easter baskets filled with goodies that were donated.”

She said the Best Buddies program provides a lifelong lesson to the students who pair up with an intellectually disabled student.

“If you talk to any chapter leaders or the students who participate, it’s almost an eye-opening experience,” Reges said. “They didn’t realize how much it teaches them the importance of inclusion.”