Now that’s my kind of giving back

Greetings, Go Game blog runners from Southern California’s most perdurable game runner. Now in my fourth year, I just pulled off a first-ever game, along with my rookie (eg only 2 1/2 years) colleague Greg S. We created a tailor-made community service themed Go Game for a client. Based on our #1 game zone down here, Santa Monica 3rd St Promenade (still featuring clues written by Ian and Finn from way back in the day!), the game had all the usual Go Game hallmarks like goofy location based puzzles, local attractions, and hilarious camera missions. But we also sent our teams to spots around the area where they helped pitch in. Here are the places our players volunteered:
Heal the Bay (picked up trash on the beach– heaviest bag gets the most points, but no fair tipping the scale with derelicts) National Resource Defense Council – helped environmental action group by adding names to mailing list Ocean Park Community Center – offered aid to those down on their luck in Santa Monica, helped sort mail and cleaned out clothing room Friends of the Library – followed the librarian’s directions… quietly… and helped shred mounds of documents Santa Monica Shelter – kitchen patrol! Mopping, cooking, chopping, mooking (?), and whatever else Chef Craig told them to do Westside Foodbank – teams had to make Amazing Race-style deliveries, dropping off care packages to Step Up on 2nd and other charitable organizations around the promenade Find the Children – hand out leaflets with missing kids to passersby on the Promenade Santa Monica Senior Center – square off against a real live senior in a game of Boggle. Beat the senior for bonus points, you young whippersnapper
It was a big project that required a lot of organization (which I don’t mind) and a lot of getting permission (which is a drag; there’s always someone higher up who has to green light it). But we pulled it off! It didn’t hurt that the client was eager, gung-ho, and really nice. I can’t remember the last time we had such a success as measured by the compliments from the players, and considering how many things could have gone wrong that was a big relief. So now that we know it works… why doesn’t your company try it?