Members of Erie police bomb squad spent Thursday making the eggs for Sight Center egg hunt.

Members of the Erie police bomb squad learned the first step in making a Easter egg that beeps is to remove all of the pop rock candy from the plastic, egg-shaped containers.

The officers spent Thursday turning 90 candy containers into beeping Easter eggs as part of a project for the Sight Center of Northwest Pennsylvania. The eggs will be used during Easter egg hunts in Erie and elsewhere for children with visual impairments.

"Our international association of bomb technicians and investigators has several charities it helps, and one is to provide these beeping Easter eggs," said Erie police Detective Sgt. Dave Hudson, a member of the bomb squad. "We got together with Dr. Tony Sala, who's a member of the Sight Center's board, and they said they'd love to have the eggs."

The bomb squad received most of the supplies for the Easter eggs from the association. Batteries needed to run the small beeping devices inserted into each egg were supplied by Battery Outlet and Batteries + Bulbs, Hudson said.

Thirty of the eggs went to the Sight Center, while the rest will be given back to the association to supply to other egg hunts across the country.

"These eggs will allow us to host an egg hunt where the children can participate on their own, without parental involvement," said Linda Hackshaw, the Sight Center's executive director. "That's important because we promote independence and participation, and this involves both."

The egg hunt is scheduled for April 9 from 2-4 p.m. at the Sight Center, 2545 W. 26th St. There is no cost and any child with a visual impairment, and their siblings, are invited to participate. Call 455-0995 to make a reservation.

Children will receive a treat for each egg they find.

David Bruce can be reached at 870-1736 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNbruce.