The resort lawn. The bathroom of a coffee shop. NIC’s literal backyard. Fun and games have been sweeping Coeur d’Alene since this summer, when the idea of one individual came to life.
“It’s like Pokemon GO!, but better,” said local resident Jessica Jolliff.
A successful local man, who wished to remain anonymous, was generous enough to start up a cash and prize scavenger hunt using Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as platforms for clues. Prizes have included cash, bicycles and even a car.
“I don’t have a game plan. I’m just a normal person, I carry around a pile of cash and when I see a good place, I just hide it and snap a photo,” Anonymous said in a Twitter interview with The Sentinel. “I don’t really have a playbook and I don’t have any help. It’s just me.”
Deemed, simply, the “CDA Give Away,” many have wondered if there is some ulterior motive behind the sudden goodwill, such as an elaborate marketing scheme. Anonymous has stated plainly that it’s just not the case.
“It’s a really simple concept, and I’m not a genius or anything,” Anonymous said. “It’s just a simple, fun way to engage the community.”
The communal outreach has touched many, and people are asking if the source will expand to Post Falls or Hayden.
“It’s not that I don’t want to do Post Falls or expand, it’s just that it dilutes the overall view. Right now, Coeur d’Alene has this great, fun game going on, and they own it,” Anonymous said. “It’s amazing. Some people really have nothing, even people with tons of money, and when you disrupt a community in a good way, it’s positive for anyone.”
Anonymous also said to be on the look out for bigger and better prizes during the holiday season.