It came close to being canceled, but an Easter tradition in Ironton will take place again this year.

The annual Ironton Business Association Easter egg hunt will be Friday at 10 a.m. on the lawn of the Lawrence County Courthouse.

IBA members Richard Patrick, Vernon Turvey and Lou Pyles usually put on the egg hunt by themselves.

Time constraints and family issues had caused Patrick and Turvey to call the egg hunt off for the year, with the expectation of starting it again next year.

“We ran out of time and resources this year. Mostly time,” Patrick said.

That’s when the Ironton Fire Department stepped in. The department usually transports the Easter bunny to the courthouse and had planned to do the same this year.

They were concerned when they hadn’t heard from IBA.

“We were just like ‘why haven’t we heard from them?’” Louie Sheridan, a firefighter, said. When they were told that the organization would not have the time for it this year, they offered to help.

“They have the funds and we have the manpower,” Sheridan said. “We thought we could do something like that together. Just as long as the kids have their Easter egg hunt.”

The IBA will still contribute funds for the eggs and candy. The firefighters will stuff the 1,200 eggs.

“We just hated for them not to have an Easter egg hunt,” Sheridan said.

The firefighters are not the only ones that are relieved that the tradition will continue.

Turvey said he is glad the department will take it over for this year.

Pyles was also happy to hear about the departments’ involvement in the egg hunt.

“My fear is that if it’s not (happening) this year, it will go away,” Pyles said. “We need this for our children. You just can’t let things leave your community because they never come back.”

The Easter egg hunt will be 10 a.m. Friday at the lawn of the Lawrence County Courthouse.