KC Cache Dash: A high-tech scavenger hunt where charities are biggest winners
Garmin International and Land Rover Merriam today announced the
inaugural KC Cache Dash, a high-tech scavenger hunt based on GPS
technology and social media connectivity, designed to promote awareness
and support for local charities. On Saturday, March 24, KC Cache Dash
will kick off at Garmin’s headquarters in Olathe, KS, and the
interactive scavenger hunt and related festivities will conclude at Land
Rover Merriam in Merriam, KS. While four teams in state-of-the-art Range
Rovers explore the entire Kansas City area for hidden treasure using
Garmin devices and clues logged at OpenCaching.com, everyone in the
community is invited to the interactive geocaching expos at Garmin and
Land Rover Merriam that will entertain and educate visitors of all ages
with family-friendly activities and informational booths about the four
charities selected as the event’s beneficiaries.
“KC Cache Dash is a unique way for Garmin and Land Rover Merriam to
welcome and connect with the community while using technology to
showcase our entire metropolitan area,” said Jon Cassat, Garmin’s vice
president of communications. “In addition to the excitement of a daylong
scavenger hunt, we get to teach a very tech-savvy generation of kids
about geocaching – a fun way to get outside and be active.”
With the launch of KCCacheDash.com, where event details will be unveiled
and fans anywhere can follow the action through live tracking and the
#kccachedash tag, supporters also have the opportunity to donate to the
four charities involved: KidsTLC, Project Uplift, Sleepyhead Beds, and
the YMCA of Greater Kansas City.
“KC Cache Dash is the first event we’ve seen that blends recreation,
connectivity, competition and charity – all with the goal of educating
the community about these amazing nonprofit groups,” said Robert
Hellweg, Marketing and Business Development Manager for Land Rover
Merriam. “And by staying connected on social media, wherever you are on
March 24, you’ll be able to support these organizations.”
MARCH 24: SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
- 9 a.m.: Expo begins at Garmin (1200 E. 151st St., Olathe)
-
9:30 a.m.: Opening remarks by Garmin, KidsTLC, Project Uplift,
Sleepyhead Beds and the YMCA -
10 a.m.: KC Cache Dash kicks off and the four Range Rovers depart
Garmin to start searching -
Noon: Expo wraps up at Garmin, festivities head north to Land Rover
Merriam - 1 pm: Expo begins at Land Rover Merriam (9400 W. 65th St., Merriam)
- 4 pm: All Range Rovers must be back at Land Rover Merriam
-
4:30: Awards Ceremony, allocation of donations and announcement of
fundraising results
In the weeks leading up to the event, the teams and their Range Rovers
will be introduced through the @KCCacheDash Twitter handle and Facebook
event page. These teams will include avid geocachers from Kansas and
Missouri, representing very active clubs in Topeka, Wichita, St. Joseph
and Kansas City. Joining them in the Range Rovers will be social media
specialists from the Kansas City area, using the tools of their trade to
spread the word about their team’s progress and the charities they’re
representing. And each team will be equipped with Garmin’s newest
automotive devices and rugged outdoor handhelds for efficient navigation
and geocaching.
In addition to being introduced to the four charities, expo visitors
will have the chance to learn about geocaching and OpenCaching.com, try
the activity themselves and build a cache of their own to take home and
hide. Garmin engineers and employees will be on hand to demonstrate the
devices and answer any questions that may arise from participating youth
groups, classrooms, scout troops and families.
About the charities
-
KidsTLC has a mission to provide opportunities that transform
kids and families in crisis while ensuring a safe environment. The
group believes that the least we can do for children who have been
abandoned, abused, neglected and thrown away, is to offer the
opportunity to forge a healthy life for themselves. http://kidstlc.org/
Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateTLC -
Project Uplift is an all-volunteer homeless outreach program
founded in 1990. Uplift survives by donations and supporters’ personal
commitment to feed and clothe the area’s homeless. Our goal is to
deliver to the homeless those basic human needs, care and compassion
that are not usually received from other organizations. http://www.uplift.org
Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateUplift -
Sleepyhead Beds has delivered hundreds of beds to area children
– connecting families with unused beds with families who desperately
want and deserve the comfort their own bed provides. These services
also benefit the community and environment by keeping hundreds of
large, bulky mattresses out of area landfills. http://www.sleepyheadbeds.org
Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateSHB -
YMCA of Greater Kansas City is an inclusive organization of
men, women and children joined together by a shared commitment to
nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and
fostering a sense of social responsibility. Everyone, regardless of
age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and
thrive at the Y. http://www.kansascityymca.org/
Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateYMCA
About geocaching
Geocaching is a globally popular, high-tech treasure hunt where
participants of all ages explore the outdoors, hiding and finding
containers of various shapes and sizes that are filled with
collectables, trinkets and logbooks for signing in and letting fellow
cachers know you were there. In 2010, Garmin announced the creation of
OpenCaching.com, a completely free online community for creating,
sharing and finding geocaches around the world. At OpenCaching.com – or
using Garmin’s OpenCaching apps for iPhone® and Android™ – everyone can
enjoy all of the caches and helpful information – the tips,
descriptions, previous attempts, mass downloads, etc. – for free.
Creating a cache consists of placing a container in a public area,
saving the GPS coordinates and uploading them to a website. Finding a
cache is as simple as searching the website and downloading those
details to a GPS handheld.
About Garmin
Since its inception in 1989, Garmin has delivered more than 91 million
GPS enabled devices – far more than any other navigation provider. In
that time, Garmin’s goal has remained simple: To create navigation and
communication devices that can enrich the activities our customers love
– through automotive, aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation and
mobile products. Garmin is the global leader in satellite navigation
because we take pride in the cooperative environment that stems from
vertical integration — we design, manufacture, market and sell our
products ourselves. During any given conversation about a product,
you’re likely to find engineers, designers, artists, writers and
salespeople sharing their thoughts. Learn more about us at Garmin.com,
and join the conversation at http://Twitter.com/Garmin;
http://Facebook.com/Garmin; http://YouTube.com/Garmin;
or http://Garmin.blogs.com.
About Land Rover Merriam
Land Rover Merriam is Kansas City’s center for Land Rover and Range
Rover vehicles, providing Sales of both new and pre-owned certified Land
Rovers and Range Rovers as well as service, parts and accessories. Land
Rover Merriam is part of Aristocrat Motors , which represents the luxury
brands of Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Land Rover, Range Rover, Maserati,
Porsche, smart and a Pre-Owned department, featuring those and other
luxury brands. Aristocrat Motors talented employees offer the one thing
all customers deserve and expect: excellent customer service (http://www.aristocratmotors.com)
About Land Rover
Land Rover, the British maker of Land Rover and Range Rover sport
utility vehicles, is renowned for providing its clientele with some of
the most luxurious and capable vehicles in the world. Every Land Rover
and Range Rover is equally at home both on and off road, and in any
setting; be it in the heart of the city, or traversing the countryside.
Today’s Land Rover lineup includes the legendary Defender, LR2
(Freelander 2), LR4 (Discovery 4), Range Rover Sport, Range Rover and
Range Rover Evoque. Land Rover designs, engineers, and manufactures
their vehicles in the United Kingdom. Land Rover is fully engaged with
sustainability initiatives and social concerns with continuous
involvement in environmental and community programs.