The one thing a Turner Valley family won’t be looking for this Monday is fun.
Kristy Cheesman will be going out with her children and grandchildren for the third annual Turner Valley-Black Diamond Scavenger Hunt this Family Day, Feb. 20.
“There is a competitive side to us and we were competing against another family,” Cheesman said of last year’s hunt. “We have side bets to see who is going to win. To go around the stores and look for the various items.”
The scavenger hunt is one of several activities going on in the Turner Valley-Black Diamond area. The hunt has participants looking for various items at stores in the two communities.
The Cheesmans were second last year and were the champs the first year. The family that hunts together find a lot of laughter together.
“Oh, we don’t separate we do it all together — that’s why we do it to be together,” she said. “It is so much fun. You go into the stores and you meet all your friends and the other families.
“It’s not like going to buy groceries for the family.
“Last year there was a special tea that we had and it was only available in one store — and you really had to go through a lot of stores to find it,” she said. “One of the more unique things we had to find is a horseshoe nail… It gets a lot of people through the stores and my grandchildren get right into it.”
Hazel Martin, Turner Valley events coordinator, said the scavenger hunt not only provides family fun, but also gives people the chance to see what Black Diamond and Turner Valley stores have to offer.
We wanted a winter time activity on Family Day and also to promote shopping local,” Martin said. “Some of the businesses might just have a question about a product that is manufactured locally.”
The first scavenger hunt in 2010 had 76 participants, while last year it nearly doubled, with 131 people participating.
Cheesman already has the hunt in the back of her mind.
“When I go into the stores I am still kind of looking at some of the more unique items they might have,” she said.
The Cheesmans compete against another family in the area. The families have even built a trophy. After winning the inaugural hunt in 2010 the other family took home the trophy.
The Cheesmans will be looking to take it back this year.
Registration for the Scavenger Hunt is at 10 a.m. at the Flare ‘N’ Derrick when families will be given the list. The actual hunt starts at 11 a.m.
Lunch will be served from noon until 1 p.m. when the scavenger hunt winners will be announced.
A public skating party will take place at the Turner Valley outdoor rink from 1 to 4 p.m. The festivities will include music and a rousing game of broomball on half of the rink.
“The event is open to everyone,” said Turner Valley fire chief Glenn Baxter, who is hosting the event. “The more the merrier.”
For more information about the event go to www.town.blackdiamond.ab.ca or www.turnervalley.ca.
