By Emma Bouthillette 

Staff Writer

What do you get when you give a carload of adults a list of items to find or tasks to complete? Two hours of mayhem as teams rush to gather as many points in the scavenger hunt to raise money for the Education Foundation of the Kennebunks, or at least that is what is expected for tomorrow afternoon.

Eight years ago, Jeni Kingston hosted a party with an adults-only scavenger hunt and remembered it being “lots of fun.” When members of the Education Foundation of the Kennebunks were brainstorming ideas for a new fundraising event, she said she suggested The Hunt for Ed October, a scavenger hunt similar to the one she hosted previously. 

At $50 per person — with all proceeds benefiting the Education Foundation of the Kennebunks general fund — participants are encouraged to pack as many people as possible into their cars to form a team. The teams have to stick together to complete as many tasks and find as many items as possible in the two hour allotted time frame, and Kingston said each team should wear something to identify themselves as a team. A digital camera is also required to participate.  

The Education Foundation of the Kennebunks was founded two years ago after foundation president Ted Damon returned to high school as an adult, attending classes three days a week, reading assignments and participating in tests.

“It was my way of finding out how to make school better for the students,” Damon said.

The foundation is a non-profit organization that provides funds to teacher training and programs for the students. Damon said the programs the foundation funds are innovative, creative and engage the children on multiple levels.

“The programs are designed to deal with boredom, but it is learning oriented and challenging,” Damon said. 

He said he is delighted to host this event to raise money for the various programs funded by the Education Foundation of the Kennebunks, and is confident Kingston will do a great job with the event.

“Without giving any clues away,” Kingston said the list for the scavenger hunt is divided in to a number of different sections, including a list of items to collect under “Loot,” important people to find under “A Brush with Greatness,” group shots to be taken as part of “Photos,” and a bonus opportunity. Kingston said each category and each item is assigned different points, so teams can strategize how to achieve the highest score. 

Education Foundation of the Kennebunks volunteer Kathleen Taggersell said the scavenger hunt sounds like a lot of fun in a time when everyone needs to have some fun in their life.

“It’s for a great cause,” Taggersell said. “And why should the kids get to have all the fun?”

Kingston said if people are interested in participating they should pick up their tickets ahead of the event, as a limited number of tickets will be sold at the door. With only 140 tickets available, 80 have already been sold. Tickets are on sale for $50 per person by calling Jeni Kinston at 967-3006.

Participants for the Hunt for Ed October are asked to arrive at 3:30 p.m. for an official start time of 4 p.m. at the Chase Hill Event Center in the White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport. 

Teams are required to return to the event center by 6 p.m. and points will be deducted for each minute the team is late.

Appetizers and a cash bar follow the scavenger hunt, and winners will be announced and awarded a trophy for their accomplishments.