Some 80 participants were out June 27 with GPS unit’s in-hand to take part in the Fort St. James Geocache event which was hosted by students of the UNBC Project Management program.
Tamara Gregg, one of the eleven program students who hosted the event, said the group had to decide on a community project to work on at the beginning of March.
“People had come in thinking of suggestions and then we ended up voting on it,” she said. “Geocache is an inaugural event here in Fort St. James. (Geocaching) is unique, a lot of people don’t know about it and a lot of us didn’t know about it.”
People from Fort St. James, Prince George and as far away as Tumbler Ridge and Vancouver came out to take part in the geocache event. Geocaching – treasure hunting with a GPS – is an activity where clues are given to hidden treasures. Participants traveled around town to ten different cache sites before heading back to Cottonwood Park to enjoy a barbeque and prize draws.
The eleven students have been taking the UNBC program since January. The Project Management course was purchased by the Nad’azdli band through UNBC and delivered at space rented at CNC said Gregg.
“The local Nad’azdli band purchased the program through UNBC and had it here because there was quite an interest here,” she said. “I’m personally out of Prince George as is one of my teammates, so we just travel in.”
Final class work
The student team will be back in class to finish their theory next week before they write their final exam Gregg said.
“And then, we may have credentials at the end of this,” she said.
The group managed to find around 40 sponsors for the event which included local businesses and individuals who also donated to the event. There were a number of prizes for the event including a first prize of $500 for adults and $100 for youth. All the children who participated in the geocache event received prizes for their efforts.
“Without sponsors we would not have been able to pull this off,” she said. “We had quite a number of individual sponsors as well.”
Gregg said the group is considering hosting the event again next year and possibly even having bands playing at the wrap-up.
“We’re quite pleased we have (the turnout) we have here,” said Gregg. “Our group are talking, and we are just in the beginning stages of this, of maintaining the unit that we have and hosting a bigger event next year.”
The event was a great success for the group said Gregg, adding that their fundraising efforts exceeded the goal the group had for funding.
“We exceeded our goal funding wise so what we are doing with the profit is donating,” she said.
“Our group decided to continue to promote physical activity, and to purchase some ski hill tickets for youth so that they have the ability to get out there this winter.”