5th Annual SEEK IN THE CITY Scavenger Hunt Set for Today in Delray Beach

The 5th Annual Seek in the City Scavenger Hunt is now open for registration, the website is live and it's time to strategize and pick your teams! The Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce Charities, a 501(c) 3 organization, hosts the event, which will occur on Saturday, July 30, from 2 to 7 pm, with a Scavenger Hunt that lasts from 3 to 6 pm. The event aims to increase traffic and awareness to Delray businesses in the summer, to raise money for education initiatives in Delray Beach and to have a fun community-wide event.

For those who think they know Delray and local businesses, this is the perfect competition to test that knowledge. Whether you're good at strategizing, navigating, photographing, clever with clues, or even creative with making costumes, become a Seeker to participate in the Scavenger Hunt. This fast-paced, educational and fun activity is primarily for adults who ware familiar with the Delray community businesses and landmarks. A team of up to five participants may register now online at www.seekinthecitydelray.com for $150. Only 50 teams may participate this year; sign up early, as previous years nearly sold out. The entry fee includes an afternoon of fun including participation in the event, light snacks, and a chance to win prizes at the Awards Ceremony.

Seekers will check in at the newly renovated Elks Lodge at 2pm, the site of the Kick Off and Awards Ceremony and will receive a list of around 50 clues that they must decipher and locate during the Hunt. Clue Stops are assigned a point value based on difficulty of the clue, distance, and other factors. The more Clue Stops the teams discover, the more points are accumulated to potentially win 1st, 2nd or 3rd place prizes. Clues such as, "It takes a lot of Will Power to but no more than 'TWO' desserts when visiting this bakery," and "This venue is not really a 'Garage' but is a hub for cultural artists, musicians and performers" sent Seekers to their businesses to get credit for their Clue Stops during scavenger hunts in the past.

"We have come to expect a high level of competition for this scavenger hunt," exclaims Kim Bentkover, Event Chair, "so there are teams already forming, strategizing, ordering shirts, and it's so fun to see the results. Over half of the teams return year after year and we love seeing that amongst groups of friends and colleagues."

Over the past 4 years of the event's existence, over $40,000 has been distributed to local causes and charities. For the 2nd year, the majority of proceeds will benefit Education Initiatives supported by Chamber Charities, specifically the Campaign for Grade Level Reading (for more details: http://gradelevelreading.net/delray-beach-fl) since we have learned that studies show that good reading skills acquired by Grade 3 can dramatically increase a student's future success. Money is also raised to support and partner with the Council for Educational Change Grant (The Annenberg Foundation Grant) awarded to Carver Middle School that supports organizational and personal leadership initiatives. "Chamber Charities is proud to support Education initiatives in Delray Beach to build up our local students," says Chamber CEO & President Karen Granger. "For us at the Chamber it's important that we partner with our educators and city leaders to ensure that our young students are encouraged to pursue and enjoy their educations so they can contribute to Delray Beach jobs and our quality of life here in years to come." This year, there is a theme of Storybook Characters - so if a team wants to enter the Costume Contest, they are asked to center that around their favorite characters from stories as it ties into Delray's reading initiatives.

SMDigital Partners, a local full service digital agency will continue their involvement in Seek in the City for the 4th year in a row as the Technology Partner. They created and manage the website and are responsible for the QR code system that electronically tracks Seekers progress by tallying each clue stop check point in real time, while ensuring that teams stick together and capturing every moment of the hunt with smart phone photo uploads. Montgomery L. 'FM' Byers, SMDigital's CEO, is looking forward to their team's ongoing contribution this year. Their entire staff is committed to the success of Seek in the City and consistently offering new, innovative technology and support.

Practice clue stop finding skills during a mini-hunt at the 4th of July festivities in Delray Beach on Monday, July 4th from 4 to 8 pm. Stop by the Localynx table to enter. It may "clue" Seekers in on what to expect on July 30.

Sponsors and Partners include: SM Digital Partners, Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative, Studio B2, Inc., Delray Beach Elks Lodge 1770.

Get in on the Hunt by Donating directly to the cause, become a Sponsor, offer a Raffle prize, or of course be a Seeker. All can be done online, so seek more information and check out the video online to see how it works: www.seekinthecitydelray.com.

Questions may be directed to seek@delraybeach.com or call the Chamber (561) 278-0424.

Pictured: Seek in the City 2015 / Best Team Costume: Team Arts Bandits. Photo by Emilano Brooks, Studio B Squared.

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