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"We thought this was a great way to showcase the hidden gems of Bergen County and have a lot of fun," said CEO Lynne Algrant.
The race began and ended at Van Suan Park in Paramus. Teams of two traversed through 25 towns in Bergen County to figure out seven location stops. They all came up with unique teams names, such as Hogwarts Heroes and Driving Miss Crazy.
The location stops that made all this possible were the Carlstadt Historical Society Museum, Hackensack Cultural Arts Center, the Railroad Depot in Demarest, the Hermitage in Ho-Ho-Kus, the Stop and Shop in Wyckoff, the Paramus Police Department and the Maywood Public Library.
Teams were tasked to raise a minimum of $250. Those who raised more received benefits, such as a head start over other teams, a fast pass to skip a challenge and a hint for clues to help them solve the riddle to get them to the next location.
Teams helped raise more than $12,000 for programs of the Bergen Volunteer Center which include:
- Mentoring Moms and Mentoring Youth help to transform children and mothers lives
- Chore Service keeps the elderly and disabled safe in their homes
- Bergen LEADS and Teen LEADS continue developing pipeline of community leaders
- Capacity building ensures that other agencies will have a stronger ability to aid our community
- Corporate Engagement assists companies in our community to be more involved and engaged
When all was said and done, the mother/daughter team Hogwarts Heroes took first place. It came down to a foot race between them and another team to cross the finish line. Other prizes were awarded for Best Team Name and Best Team Uniform.
“I got to meet a mayor, it was so coo," said one racer who was excited the Demarest Mayor Raymond Cywinski, who was at the railroad depot to help racers row up and back the lake.
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