The Easter Bunny stands with one of the winning contestants in a coloring contest sponsored by Lowell Police and the Officer Sean A. Collier Memorial Fund. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department) 

LOWELL — Superintendent Greg Hudon is pleased to report that the Lowell Police Department, in collaboration with the Officer Sean A. Collier Memorial Fund, sponsored a coloring contest for some Lowell Public School first graders. 

First-graders from classrooms at the Moody, Greenhalge and Shaughnessy Elementary Schools, as well as the STEM Academy, colored pictures of the character Officer Judy Hopps from the movie “Zootopia.” 

A Lowell Police officer served as the judge of the colored pages while dressed as the Easter Bunny on Wednesday morning. 

Superintendent Greg Hudon, Deputy Superintendent Frank Nobrega, Sgt. Mike Marshall and School Resource Officer Mindy Dower went from classroom to classroom on Wednesday morning as the Easter Bunny made an appearance and looked at all the colored pages. 

Thanks to support from the Officer Sean A. Collier Memorial Fund, a winning student in each classroom received an Easter basket full of toys and candy.

Every student in each classroom that participated received a smaller bag of treats and candies — with no nuts or chocolate included. 

“Thank you for protecting us,” a child at the Moody School said to police. 

In addition to giving out gift bags, police also provided teachers at each of the schools with 20 Market Basket gift cards for $50 each to provide to children most in need thanks to the generosity of Cheryl Kimball of the Collier Fund. 

 “Seeing the faces of the first-grade students as the Easter Bunny appeared in their classrooms was the highlight of my day,” said Superintendent Hudon. “This contest was a lot of fun and a great opportunity for kids to realize that police can be fun, too. We had a lot of talented students do a great job on their coloring.”

From left, Sgt. Mike Marshall, Capt. Matthew Penrose, Deputy Superintendent Frank Nobrega, School Resource Officer Mindy Dower, the Easter Bunny, Cheryl Kimball, retired MIT Police Sgt. Richard Sullivan, Art Teacher Courtney Ago, Joe Rogers of the Sean A. Collier Memorial Fund, Principal Roberta Keefe, and Superintendent Greg Hudon stand for a group photo while delivering Easter baskets and judging the coloring contest. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department) 
Lowell Police Sgt. Mike Marshall introduces a class at the Moody Elementary School to the Easter Bunny and School Resource Officer Mindy Dower. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department) 
A Lowell Police officer dressed as the Easter Bunny looks at all of the colored pages in a classroom before choosing a winner. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department) 
The Easter Bunny gets a hug from a student at the Moody Elementary School. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department) 
The Easter Bunny stands with the winning contestant in a coloring contest sponsored by Lowell Police and the Officer Sean A. Collier Memorial Fund. (Courtesy Lowell Police Department)