World Record! Part One

My daughter has an awesome job. It's awesome big, awesome fun, awesome responsible, awesome scary, and awesome tiring. (No grammar Nazis please!) She is an Event Manager for Google Fiber in Provo and she has helped put out the word about their product through fun events.  Awhile back she was given the charge to plan a big "Thank You" party for the City of Provo, from Google Fiber to thank them for the great reception GF has received in the city. She talked about this with me and we tossed around a few ideas. Many days later she said, "what do you think about a city-wide scavenger hunt? I pictured hundreds of Provonians (said tongue-in-cheek) canvasing neighborhoods knocking on doors asking for green rubber bands and bent paper clips. She said, "Oh no, Mom. It will be in the downtown area and I'm trying to come up with a way to get the local businesses involved. It'll be a way to help people get to know their city better. "Oh!", I thought. "That is HUGE."  "Yes," she answered. "We're going to break the Guiness Book of World Records' record for the largest scavenger hunt...ever. It'll end with a big concert/party for the participants." Yep, awesome!

The next task was what to call it? Again, we sat around the kitchen table throwing around names like "Finding Provo", and such. She told me later, after the name was decided upon, that she woke up one morning with the thought "Passport to Provo" in her mind. Also in her pretty head were all of the details in rough form. Every group would get a passport filled with various tasks that local businesses had agreed to participate in. Complete the right amount, be the first ones back, and win a huge prize! That sounded fun and incredibly hard to organize, but we are talking about Brittany, here! She had lots of help from others at work and together they contacted, I don't know how many businesses within the perimeter they set, got the United Way of Provo involved, along with the Downtown Provo Alliance. She worked several 60+ hour weeks and was stating to look awesome worn-out! (I know, I know, it should say awesome-ly...I don't care!)

At last everything was set, now it was time to advertise and get people to actually sign up, not just to participate in the hunt, but she also needed tons of volunteers to help pull this off! Let's get some promotional photos taken to put up around town and to use for the website. OK, how about an awesome Provo photographer like Justin Hackworth? No problem! Let's get some local celebrities to come be in the photos...no problem! Provo people are pretty awesome! Let's see....who came?

OK, I do not profess to know all of these people and some of them are from Google Fiber, having fun, you know? Heck, I'd be in there with Donny too if I had the chance! See that cute blonde peeking in on the left? That's Mindy Gledhill, a gal with an angelic voice whose songs I love. She just left this morning on a cross-country tour in her new vintage tour bus. My darling girl Brittany Loose is third in from the left on the second row. Love her! Back row center...the guy looking up to heaven, is Kevin Auernig owner of Sodalicious in Provo. (I'll take a Coke Zero with a little cherry and cream, please!)  Right in front of him is infamous Provo blogger Courtney Clark Kendrick or "CJane" who was having a coronary over being in the same room as a certain handsome pop star! "You got Donny Osmond?!" She squeaked at Brittany? "WHO GETS DONNY OSMOND?!" Well, my daughter and Google Fiber do! Right next to her is Jeremy Warner of KBYU's "Studio C" fame. That show has such a cult following. It's so funny! On the far right, second row is Provo Mayor John Curtis in the checked shirt. Provo loves their mayor, yes they do! He was so supportive of Brittany and her efforts. Right in front of Mayor Curtis is famous singer from TV's "The Voice" Ryan Innes. I voted for him and I love his voice! Now, next to Mr. Osmond you will notice a rather furry guy in a BYU football jersey? That would be none other than Cosmo Cougar, famed BYU mascot and overall great cat. The fact that Britt was anywhere near this mascot speaks for how seriously she takes her job. Usually mascots send her into a shivering, huddled mass in a corner. Tears are usually involved. Now shall we address the elephant in the room? My teen idol, I was going to marry him, he's still so cute...Donny! I want to say that all of these people came free of charge because they love their city. Donny was very nice and took time afterward to talk to people and take photos with them. He asked Brittany how else he could help and how the hunt would work. He said, "I have an army, you know!" Yes, there are a lot of Osmonds around here.

At one point during the shoot she sent a few pictures via text to me. I cried. It was my inner 13-year-old coming out. I would never have dreamed in 1972 that my idol would have his arm around my own daughter some day!

"Look who I'm with Mom!"  She told Donny, "This one's for my Mom", so that's him saying Hi to me, I'm sure!

She hates this picture and I will be in trouble for sharing but they just look like they are having so much fun!

They got one of the Mayor kissing a baby. Cosmo is so touched!

 Rockin' out with the gang. Go Mindy!

 Oh yeah.

Oh! Here's one of someone taking the photo that Britt sent to me. Cool!

Look at CJane being so adorably coy, and Mindy's still dancing!

So, the publicity was set in motion, now all that was left was to get nearly 1,000 people to show up!

Daunting? Yes.

Were there worries?

Yes!

Were they needless?

YES!

Next time I'll share with you some fun photos from our amazing World Record-Breaking day!