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A great Amazing Race in the Hazeltons

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Contestants of the First Annual Amazing Race in Hazelton roasted weiners last week when two teams tied for first and two for second.

Last week the first annual Amazing Race got underway in Hazelton and finished with a tie for both first and second place. Organizers and participants felt it was a great success with all four teams getting prizes and having a great time.

More than 18 volunteers helped the race come to be and things got under way with the race beginning with a challenge put together by Shannon McPhail and the Skeena Watershed Conservation Coalition, organizer Keegan Schopfer said.

“Each team was given a blank map of the Skeena Watershed and had to fill in the names of major tributaries and towns,” he explained. “They were allowed to use any resource they could find, but to help in their task several watershed maps had been posted up around the centre of town. Once the map was completed the team was given their first of four rhyming clues. Each clue led to the next and had the participants running around town, ultimately leading to the offices of the SWCC where each team received a poster.”

After a short break the second challenge began.

“Ruth Cooper at the Hazelton District Public Library did an exceptional job putting together a “History of Hazelton Scavenger Hunt,” Schopfer said. “Participants were given a map with 16 locations marked on it. At each location was a signboard that had a multiple-choice question relating to the history of that particular location. Participants answered the question by drawing a puzzle piece out of the bag that corresponded to their answer. Once all 16 pieces were collected the team returned to the Learning Shop to assemble their puzzle. If they answered any questions incorrectly then those puzzle pieces would not fit, and the team had to race back and collect the correct answer. Everyone enjoyed this challenge and we took a break for lunch once they were finished.

Next on the agenda it was the Northwest Community College’s challenge titled “Tea Time.”

“The challenge, designed to bolster the teams’ ability to confide at surviving in the woods, required teams to decipher clues pointing to local landmarks and collect pieces of kit that were stashed at these landmarks,” he said. “Teams assembled the pieces of their kit in the parking lot beside the Inlander Grocery. Their task was to light a small fire, build a tripod on which to hang a coffee can, and melt enough snow to fill their can with water. This challenge was the highlight of the day – the parking lot was full of teams, spectators, fire and smoke. A really joyful scene.”

Once the coffee cans were all boiling away, the teams made their way up to John Field Elementary School for the final challenge of the day which was the “Healthy Living Game Show.” Put together by the Wrinch Dietitian and Mental Health and Addiction Services, there were two components; a dietary Jeopardy and a Drug Facts Wheel of Misfortune. This was the final opportunity for teams to add points to their score.

“After the game show, points were tallied and to everybody’s surprise there was a double tie,” Schopfer shared. “Two teams tied for first place with 480 points, and two teams tied for second place with 470 points. After a quick meeting it was decided to split the prize money between the winning teams. The two first place teams received $225 each, the two second place teams received $100 each, and the third place team received $50.”

One of the first place teams was called the Robin Joseph Issak team and consisted of; Louis Robert Hnidan, Lucas Alexandre Godfrey Hnidan, Lorraine Lucie Smith-Hnidan-Kendall and Edward William Douglas Kendall. The tying team was called Team Spirit and was comprised of; Emily Holland, Selina Blabey, Jeffrey Joseph and Tom Blabey.

Second place was the Runaways with Sherlie Belisle, Sarah Gagne, Briana Belisle and Lenny Robinson and the Mountain Railroaders team with; Ruth McAfee, Thomas McAfee, Lenny Hilback and Sky Hilback.

Third place went to Team Extreme with Anette Peterson, Makayla Peterson, Paul Peterson and Jane Boulton.