Last year, owners of businesses north of Bow Street in Freeport created the slogan, “NoBo,” as an attempt to enlighten shoppers that there is, indeed, something for shoppers in the northern edge of the village.
This year, the Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce is taking that concept a step further, involving 22 locally owned businesses both north, south and on Bow Street itself in a game called “The Great Scavenger Hunt.”
Scheduled for June 23-26, The Great Scavenger Hunt aims to get a large number of shoppers and diners into the participating businesses, engage with employees and, hopefully, buy something. All shoppers have to do is pony up $5, which will qualify them for a grand prize drawing on June 30. Each business will contribute something to the grand prize.
To play, people must purchase “passports” at the chamber office, located in the Freeport Community Center on Depot Street. Passports became available on Monday, June 15, and must be turned back in at the chamber office by 10 a.m. on Friday, June 26. The passports will lead the customers to the 22 businesses.
“We’ll give people a playing card called a passport and there will be clues,” said Sande Updegraph, executive director of the Greater Freeport Chamber of Commerce. “We want to get folks in the door. The answers won’t be immediately evident. The answers must be approved by someone in the store. We’re hoping that people will engage with the employees.”
Only completed passports will be eligible for the drawing. The clues are in the form of questions that can only be answered by going into the businesses and speaking with an employee. The player then writes the answer on the playing card, or passport, and the employee initials the passport to verify that the player went into the store. When all of the clues have been answered and verified, the passports are turned into the chamber and put in a drawing for the grand prize.
There is nothing to purchase, except for the $5 passport.
Updegraph said that Stephanie Bolk, a summer intern for the chamber and a student at the University of Southern Maine, designed graphics and the logo for The Great Scavenger Hunt. Bolk also designed the passports and the posters.
“We will make sure there is one in every business that is participating,” Updegraph said.
Maine Woolens, located at 124 Main St. (north of Bow Street) is one of the participating businesses. Maine Woolens has thrown in a celedon (green) gingham check, queen-size blanket, which retails at $172, toward the grand prize drawing. The blanket is made at the Maine Woolens manufacturing site in Brunswick.
“It’s a great summer blanket classic, and that’s why we offered that,” said Candy Fontaine, manager at the Maine Woolens retail store.
Fontaine hopes that people will have fun with The Great Scavenger Hunt.
“The fact that they can enter to win such a great prize is probably a draw,” Fontaine said.
Other businesses participating in The Great Scavenger Hunt are Bow Street Market, Brett Davis Realtors, Buck’s Naked BBQ, Cool As A Moose Corningware-World Kitchen, Earrings and Company, Freeport Cafe, Freeport Hardware, Freeport Thrift Shop, Gritty McDuff’s, Kendall Tavern Inn, Maine Wicked Goods, Mortgage Network Inc., New Beginnings, Nordica Theatre, R.D. Allen Freeport Jewelers, Royal River Heat Pumps, Shard Pottery, Sweet Repeats, Winter People and Wolfe’s Neck Farm.
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