Gratis
Can an ongoing city treasure hunt be considered a sport? Well, if there’s a multitude of Orinda residents hunting and competing to find the free cash and prizes stashed around town, absolutely.
Game on.
As many of you may have already noticed, if you look closely at the cover of The Orinda News, in the upper corner, it politely says “Gratis.” Of course translating to “free,” or better yet “free gift.”
And that was the spark of the idea that began the game. Free cash and gifts hidden around town, Gratis. Find it and it’s yours. (But you have to know where to look.)
The challenge begins with video clues exclusively posted on The Orinda News Instagram page. Quick-cut images, spliced together with just enough information to tell the page followers where to start investigating. But not the easy, under-hand, slow-pitch softball kind of hints. Subtle hints that may need to be watched a few times to see all the clues provided. Perhaps even needing to be screen-captured for a better, longer look. (And as the game progresses, and people get the hang of it, the hints will get a little harder each time. So start following @theorindanews now.)
Intermixed within the video clips are images of the local business that have so kindly donated the prizes to the experience. Their donations are the treasures under the X.
Kathy at Orinda Shell Auto Care offered a full gas tank gift card, Michael Karp kindly gave a $100 to enjoy at The Fourth Bore, Loard’s Ice Cream gave a gift certificate to help fight the heat of the summer – all things neighborhood residents would love to have. Add in some surprises, a few yet to come, like vintage coins, candy, movie tickets sometimes accompanied by everyone’s favorite “cash” and you’ve got yourself a popular game. (Our last video post had over 1,400 views.)
The game will continue as long as the enthusiasm holds out, so please jump in and participate. Follow @theorindanews on Instagram and see if you can find some local treasures. Don’t feel like if you happen upon the post a little late, that you’ve missed out. It usually takes 48 hours or so before anyone actually finds the sticker and its prizes underneath.
And if you are a local business, or you know a friend with an Orinda business who would like to be part of the community game, please speak up, we’d love to have them participate. Anyone have unused Giants tickets, or find you’re going away during your 49er game and don’t want your seats to go to waste? Take the tax deduction and donate them to the paper for the game.
Also, we would love to see the smiling faces of the treasure finders. So if you’re lucky enough to decipher the video clues first, please direct message us back with your victory selfie.
There are many hidden gems around Orinda, we’re just adding a few more to the list.
The great Orinda “Gratis” treasure hunt is on. Try and find these six-inch stickers hidden about town, and behind them you’ll find cash and prizes. Each sticker comes with a unique gift, kindly donated by your favorite local businesses. How do you find clues to their location, you might ask? Simply follow The Orinda News on Instagram @theorindanews. Exclusive video clues will be posted providing hints to the covertly placed hidden gems. Happy Hunting.
