ALTON - The entire Riverbend is turning into an Easter egg hunt for sharp-eyed people of all ages.
With the mission of spreading "love and light," the Riverbend Rockers Facebook group, which boasts nearly 5,000 members, and the Alton Rocks Facebook group, which is pushing toward 1,000 members, hide painted rocks around the entire area with the sole purpose of having someone find them just so the finder can have a brighter day. Rocks are painted with several themes including Pokemon, the Grateful Dead, superheroes and even the complete cast of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - complete with a piece of pizza.
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There is also another group in Glen Carbon with nearly 1,000 members posting painted stones across Glen Carbon, Edwardsville and Maryville as well as a much smaller fledgling group in Jerseyville, currently approaching 25 members on Facebook. This is indicative of this trend currently sweeping the area and bringing people outside to explore their hometowns in a new light.
"Besides being [amazing], it's simple," Alton Rocks member Kirstie Strasen said in a message. "Paint rocks. Some like to hunt first, some paint first. You can keep anything you find, but if you keep multiple rocks, obviously it's cool if you're painting them as well."
A casual scroll through each group shows vividly colored stones being broadcast throughout the Riverbend. Some are in conspicuous and easy-to-find locations, while others are a bit more cryptic and esoteric.
Sarah Battig, who is a proud member of both local groups, said many local establishments are in on the adventure, while others want nothing to do with it. Some are also hidden on local landmarks, and some find their ways across the country.
"One person just found one at the Confederate prison hidden by someone," Battig said. "They were visiting from Tennessee."
She said painted rocks are hidden all around Alton, including on ATMs, local drive-thrus, grocery stores and gas pumps. Many rock hiders ask businesses before placing them. Battig said Mr. Donut and Pizza Hut are happy to accommodate the rockers.
With so many people in each group hiding and finding rocks, Strasen estimates as many as 20-50 rocks a day are hidden throughout the area, and only four or five may be found each day. Some special rocks create a sort of race among the members as well.
Obviously, finding and making the rocks are especially fun for children. Battig said she joined the group and has been partaking in activities with her daughters, aged 12 and 6. They joined a little over a week ago and have found and hidden several rocks since.
"I had heard about this rock painting thing, and was somewhat interested," she said. "One day, we were at a Godfrey park and saw a little rock painted like a ghost leaning up against the tree by the merry-go-round. The ghost said Riverbend Rockers on the back. Me and the girls were immediately sucked in. It was like we found a treasure. The next day, we snagged a few rocks out of our landscaping and we started painting."
Strasen said, while kids have a great time, it is not just for children.
"It's not just for kids," she said. "A lot of people think that still. It can help anyone smile. We all need love and light, not just tiny humans."
The rock painting trend came to the Riverbend from Florida, and was originally concocted in the northern states, Strasen said.
"I started the group because I thought it would be an attempt to get the community and families outside away from technology, and by doing that, hopefully add a sense of surprise and smiles throughout the community," Alton Rocks founder Brooke Peipert said. "I'm a local artist myself and have some future plans for the project in the works and hope to display the rocks in a small show of some sort eventually (plans are still ironing out). It's been an amazing honor to be thanked for starting something so simple in our town and I believe it's really bringing out the better side and more kindness throughout the wide age group of people participating."
