On your mark, get set, get to know the neighbourhood!
Burnaby Neighbourhood House’s North House is holding its annual Incredible Quest event this month.
The challenges change every year and this year, there are also different checkpoints, according to Janice Ho, coordinator of volunteers and community programs for North House.
“This year, there are brand new check points in North Burnaby and creeping into Central Burnaby,” she said, adding the event is a lot of fun. “It gets everybody participating and learning more about Burnaby, because one of our main purposes is to learn more about our neighbourhood and find out about places you might not even know exist, whether it’s a business or a landmark.”
Challenges may be either physical or mental in nature, or both, according to Ho.
“It could be anything really,” she said. “It could be things you did as a child, at sports day, or a birthday party.”
Past mental challenges have included a food challenge at Whole Foods where participants had to match pictures of food to regions of B.C. The first year of the quest, Mad Science came to the North House and set up two science problems, and participants had to pick one and solve it.
One physical challenge required finding three flags on Burnaby Mountain.
Local businesses have donated prizes, including first prize, best social media post, best dressed, and door prizes.
The prizes are often gift cards that the winners can use as they wish, according to Ho, though there are also gift certificates for local businesses and products, as well.
The adventure race raises funds so the North House can find a more permanent location, Ho said.
“We’re looking for a more permanent home,” she said. “A more stable home, as well as a bigger home that allows for more community programming.”
The majority of programs are run by volunteers, and they offer things like yoga classes, ESL classes and tax clinics at North House.
“We have a lot of people who come here, on a daily basis almost they come, they’ll use our digital café and get some help with the computers,” Ho said. “And then they’ll volunteer to help clean up or sit at the front desk to answer phones. This is sort of their second home.”
The Incredible Quest takes place on Saturday, May 12. Teams can register at iqnorthburnaby2018.eventbrite.ca until May 6.
