OCEAN CITY – An inaugural resort-wide scavenger hunt to benefit local first responder organizations will take place in Ocean City next month.
On Saturday, March 28, Shore Community Connections will host its first annual OC Quest for Heroes, a scavenger hunt to benefit the Ocean City Paramedic Foundation.
From noon to 6 p.m. teams of 2-6 people will have the opportunity to collect clues from various landmarks, restaurants, hotels and retail locations throughout Ocean City for a chance to win prizes and bragging rights.
Trish Seitz and Rick Coleman, event co-founders and organizers, said efforts to organize a resort-wide scavenger hunt began in September. They explained the goal is to make OC Quest for Heroes an annual event to raise money for local first responder organizations.
“The reason we called it a Quest for Heroes is because we figure each year we can pick a different first responder group,” Coleman said. “We can do a fire department, a beach patrol, a police department, whatever it may be.”
All proceeds from this year’s scavenger hunt will go to the Ocean City Paramedic Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to the training of resort paramedics and the purchasing of equipment through fundraising efforts.
“We want to use that money to give back and help our community,” Seitz said.
Since its formation in 2017, Shore Community Connections – a local networking group covering the lower Eastern Shore – has donated thousands of dollars to local nonprofits, including Worcester Youth and Family Counseling Services and the Good Ole Boy Foundation.
“Our networking group has 20 members and we pay dues,” Seitz said. “We wanted to use that due money to give back to the community, so every year we donate or do some kind of fundraiser.”
Seitz said she and Coleman presented the group’s members with the idea for a scavenger hunt last summer.
“There was an event in West Ocean City that kind of prompted or sparked the idea, and we decided to make it bigger and adults-only …,” she said. “It has just evolved from there.”
Event festivities the day of the scavenger hunt will begin with a mandatory registration and packet pickup from 10 a.m. to noon at the 28th Street Pit & Pub.
“At least one person from your team has to show up to pick up the registration packets,” Coleman said. “The first 300 participants will receive a bag to carry everything around in, a wristband and a cosy.”
The Quest will then take place from noon to 6 p.m. Organizers said teams will be given clues that will lead them to locations from the Inlet to 146th Street. Team members must travel together and take a picture with the answer to the clue.
“We’ve come up with a bunch of trivia questions about the town and its history, and the hotels, restaurants, bars and retail locations are going to be the stops,” Seitz said. “You have to figure out what place we’re talking about, and once you are there you have to take a picture of your full team in front of whatever we’ve designated. They then have to email it to us to get credit for completing that clue.”
Organizers said the scavenger hunt is not a race, but simply a challenge to see what team can complete the most clues and earn the most points within the six-hour time limit. Teams also can enjoy happy hour pricing and discounts from participating businesses throughout the day.
“It’s really a win-win for everybody,” Seitz said.
Organizers said the scavenger hunt will conclude with an after party from 6-8 p.m. at Dry Dock 28. Festivities will include food and drink specials, entertainment from DJ BK, giveaways, a 50/50 raffle and prizes for first-, second- and third-place teams.
Bonus point will also be awarded to the teams that dress up in costumes, and the best team costume will be awarded a prize at the after party.
“It will be a fun time,” Coleman said. “We’ll also present a big check to the Ocean City Paramedic Foundation that night for the total amount raised.”
A participation fee of $75 per team can be made online at eventbrite.com (search “OC Quest for Heroes”). Participants must be 21 years of age.
The last day of team registration is March 13. However, donations to the Ocean City Paramedic Foundation will be accepted up to the day of the event.
“We’re still looking for more stops, but we are mainly looking for donations,” Seitz said. “They can be written directly to the Ocean City Paramedic Foundation, and we are holding onto those monies and present it to them the night of the event.”
For more information, visit Shore Community Connections’ Facebook page, or the “OC Quest for Heroes” Facebook event page. For questions or to make payments, contact Seitz at [email protected] or 717-891-4277.
“We’d love to have everyone come out and join in the fun for the day, while visiting new places, having fun with their team and in the process giving back to the community through the Ocean City Paramedics Foundation,” Seitz said.
