Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties

NICER launches backyard adventure

By RICHARD JENKINS

[email protected]

Hurley — With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic limiting events, Northern Iron County Engaged Residents is encouraging locals to get out and explore the area by launching its Backyard Adventure Month Tuesday.

“The idea of having this whole thing is because, with the COVID shutdown, people are looking for things to do,” said Ken Saari, NICER vice president and one of several event organizers.

For the month of September, challenge participants can obtain a competition booklet that contains the entry form, rules and directions to the 15 sites that are part of the challenge.

Booklets can be found through the Iron County UW Extension office, the Hurley Area Chamber of Commerce, at various businesses -- such as Burgers Bar, Stoffel’s Country Store, Giovanoni’s and North Lakes Clinic -- as well as a digital version at nicer715.com.

The challenge replaces last year’s clue-based scavenger hunt, which will hopefully lead to more participation.

“The people who did it (last year) really enjoyed it, but it really wasn’t as well attended as we had hoped,” Saari said. “We’re thinking of trying it this year to see how it works with actual descriptions and directions on how to get there and see if that has some more interest.”

Unlike last year, where the challenge centered around figuring out where to go, Saari said organizers are providing directions this time.

“We’re going on a point system this time, so every location we have has a certain level of difficulty and, based on that, we assigned different levels of points,” Saari said.

Along with the points for each site, competitors can collect additional points by completing tasks such as gathering a bag of litter, taking a family photo, photographing an animal track or sharing photos on social media.

“What we really want to see people do once they’re there is take a picture of it, send it in -- use the hashtag (#ironcountybackyardadventure) and upload the photo,” Saari said, adding the photos not only capture the memory, but help promote the area as well.

Saari said first and second place will be for those who accrue the most points -- with a drawing if there is more than one person with the same point totals. Third place is open to anyone who participates -- regardless of totals.

“If you don’t finish, you just go out and get a couple of spots, the third-place prize is going to be a random drawing for anybody who participated,”

Ultimately, organizers hope the challenge not only gives people something to safely do outside, but also the opportunity to explore some of the county’s hidden gems they maybe haven’t been to before.

“There’s a lot of amazing things to see in this county and we just want people to get out there and enjoy them,” Saari said.

For more information, visit the NICER-Northern Iron County Engaged Residents Facebook page or nicer715.com.

 
 
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