A long-running Easter egg hunt has been cancelled in Dartmouth, N.S., this year after the sponsoring chocolate provider declined to provide the goodies for the eager children.

The KidSport Easter Egg Hunt at Dartmouth Common has been a popular event to raise funds to help disadvantaged youth participate in organized sport, and has attracted hundreds of families.

Cadbury has been the major sponsor for seven years, providing about 25,000 chocolate eggs that are scattered around the park.

But Cadbury has recently joined the Children's Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative, which prevents member companies from marketing to children under 12.

The policy means Cadbury has also pledged not to participate in events that specifically target children, the company said in a written statement.

"We have truly enjoyed supporting the annual KidSport Easter Egg Hunt over the last several years and while we would very much like to continue this relationship, we have made the difficult decision to end our sponsorship," Cadbury said in a written statement.

Mike Boucher, who had planned to take his daughters to the egg hunt on the weekend, said Cadbury doesn't seem to be doing a very good job at standing by its policy when their chocolate is so readily available in stores frequented by children.

"It sounds more like an effort to reduce their expenses than anything," Boucher said.

Sport Nova Scotia is examining other ways to finance the hunt in the future, said chief executive officer Jamie Ferguson.

"One of the reasons we stayed with the event, even though it wasn't a huge fundraisers, was because we knew it had a great community piece to it and we thought that was an important part of what we were doing," Ferguson said.