30 teams. 16 volunteer missions to celebrate America! The Grand Prize Winner is “President For A Day.” Everyone is on a “nonprofit treasure hunt” for cash, prizes, discounts & very unusual prizes called “Loony Coupons.”
The City of Cumming will become Philadelphia Pennsylvania and Lake Lanier will become the Delaware River in 1776.
When you register you are randomly placed on a team. Your team’s mascot live streams skits from the Water Carnival on Lake Lanier and tries to be the funniest. This competition is called the “George Washington Christmas Game.”
Each team competes to find the treasure of the American Spirit. Each time you find treasure, you gain rank in the Continental Army or George Washington’s Marines.
Each team supports a Special Hero. There are donors and volunteers on each team. Volunteer missions create sports, events, carnival booths, skits, contests and anything that can get any donor to donate. You try to steal donors from other teams. Only the top 20 teams will make it to year two.
No credit cards are needed by volunteers after their $1 registration. 18+ to win prizes, register or volunteer.
All proceeds help Special Needs populations at a Forsyth County Vocational Group Home under construction.
Instructional Video: Short OR Long Or Mission
Here is what to know about the American Spirit.
The American Spirit was created on Christmas Day 1776. Three groups of soldiers were to cross the Delaware River and battle the British. Colonel Cadwalader with his 1800 men and James Ewings with his 800 men turned back due to a ferocious winter storm. It took George Washington 11 hours to cross the 300 yards of the River with 2,400 volunteers using fishing boats, hunting weapons and farm tools to battle a well trained, well equipped British army dug into the city of Trenton.
As the patriots got closer to the British, instead of a surprise attack, front and center unarmed musicians marched into battle playing the fife and drum to call out the British to fight. All of George Washington’s men were singing “Yankee Doodle Dandy” and even dancing as they advanced into battle.
The British were shocked, surprised, demoralized and fought poorly. The patriots were energized, fought courageously and won. That is how the American Spirit was used as a weapon to defeat the British.
To this day, “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” is the number one song played in fife and drum competitions. The story of the American spirit spread to other patriots and we won our independence. It has continued to this day and USA soldiers are known for their American Fighting Spirit.
The Star Spangled Banner was written by John Frances Key in 1813. Before that “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” a song that mocked the British was our unofficial national anthem.
If you are in competition, on a Treasure Hunt you can be asked to sing the first line of Yankee Doodle. If you don’t, (Or sing more than the first line!) you are accused of being a British spy. You could be given a “Booby Prize” instead of a “Booty Prize.”
The place where Yankee Doodle Dandy was sung the most often and with the greatest cheer and spirit was at the Tun Tavern. This was at Water Street and Tun Alley across the street from “Washingtons Wharf” on the Delaware River.
George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, John Paul Jones and many other founding fathers were at Independence Hall during the day and at the Tun Tavern in the evenings. During the day they crafting the declaration of independence and the constitution, during the evenings they drank beer and recruited volunteer Marines at the Tun Tavern. Yankee Doodle Dandy, sung to mock the British, was the most popular song at the Tun Tavern. Everybody sang it loudly with all the Spirit they had. The Marines raised their flag for the first time at the Tun Tavern. The Marine Slogan is “Born in a bar.”
For over a year the founding fathers recruited volunteers and formed a plan to attack the British by crossing the Delaware River.
That is when they knew that they could use the American Spirit to defeat the British at Trenton. It worked. When unarmed musicians marching at the front and center were wounded, to support their brothers in arms, they would keep singing joyfully and loudly until they fell. Soldiers that were armed were so energized by the bravery and spirit of the unarmed musicians that they fought with unrestrained courage and won over a vastly superior enemy. The battle was described as “Pirates VS British.”
Christmas Day of 1776 was when the American Spirit was created. We celebrate it with something called “The George Washington Christmas Game.” Watch a video to learn it. Sign the 250th Birthday Card and create at least one gift of the American Spirit. Bring it (online) to the party for a gift exchange. The more American Spirit you create, the easier it is to win. This is just like the volunteer marines at the Battle of Trenton.
Treasure Hunt & Pirate school Homework
The marines were an innovative mix of volunteers. Why did they volunteer?