The Easter Message was delivered by Rev. William Lyle of Marco Presbyterian. He took as his theme “The King Lives…and It Isn’t Elvis.” Lyle compared the life and death of Elvis Presley to the death and rebirth of Jesus, saying Elvis, unlike Christ, “has zero impact on my life.”

It was a beautiful morning to get up early.

Thousands on Marco Island got the chance, rising before dawn on Easter Sunday to head down to the beach behind the Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort for Marco’s 22nd Annual Easter Sunrise Service.

Participants sat in the cool darkness, and watched as the light grew in the east. A steady stream of cars and pedestrians carrying folding chairs, plus strollers, blankets and a few fat-tired sand-friendly wheelchairs, made their way down Collier Blvd. and across to the beach.

On any other morning, you would not want to try parking your car in the street right in front of the Marriott, but Sunday, police officers including bicycle cop George Guyer and volunteers wearing fluorescent CERT vests directed traffic, blocking off one lane in each direction and keeping everyone safe.

Rob and Angela Ribbe brought their daughters Grace, 4, and Lauren, 2. The couple has another one on the way.

“We had to get up really early,” confided Grace.

After an organ prelude by Marv Hollenbeck, Alan Sandlin welcomed the congregants. He announced he had learned from Google that Marco’s Easter sunrise service was the largest in Florida.

When Sandlin asked for anyone who had been at the first Marco sunrise Easter service 22 years ago to stand, John Kett rose out of the crowd. Kett said he was one of the organizers of that inaugural event. Gesturing at the sea of people all around, he remembered that only a couple of hundred came out for that first service.

READ MORE: http://www.marconews.com/news/2010/apr/04/thousands-enjoy-marco-islands-22nd-easter-sunday-s/