KC Cache Dash

Garmin International and Land Rover Merriam today announced the inaugural KC Cache Dash, a high-tech scavenger hunt based on GPS technology and social media connectivity, designed to promote awareness and support for local charities. On Saturday, March 24, KC Cache Dash will kick off at Garmin’s headquarters in Olathe, KS, and the interactive scavenger hunt and related festivities will conclude at Land Rover Merriam in Merriam, KS. While four teams in state-of-the-art Range Rovers explore the entire Kansas City area for hidden treasure using Garmin devices and clues logged at OpenCaching.com, everyone in the community is invited to the interactive geocaching expos at Garmin and Land Rover Merriam that will entertain and educate visitors of all ages with family-friendly activities and informational booths about the four charities selected as the event’s beneficiaries.

“KC Cache Dash is a unique way for Garmin and Land Rover Merriam to welcome and connect with the community while using technology to showcase our entire metropolitan area,” said Jon Cassat, Garmin’s vice president of communications. “In addition to the excitement of a daylong scavenger hunt, we get to teach a very tech-savvy generation of kids about geocaching – a fun way to get outside and be active.”
With the launch of KCCacheDash.com, where event details will be unveiled and fans anywhere can follow the action through live tracking and the #kccachedash tag, supporters also have the opportunity to donate to the four charities involved: KidsTLC, Project Uplift, Sleepyhead Beds, and the YMCA of Greater Kansas City.

“KC Cache Dash is the first event we’ve seen that blends recreation, connectivity, competition and charity – all with the goal of educating the community about these amazing nonprofit groups,” said Robert Hellweg, Marketing and Business Development Manager for Land Rover Merriam. “And by staying connected on social media, wherever you are on March 24, you’ll be able to support these organizations.”

MARCH 24: SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

• 9 a.m.: Expo begins at Garmin (1200 E. 151^st St., Olathe)
• 9:30 a.m.: Opening remarks by Garmin, KidsTLC, Project Uplift, Sleepyhead Beds and the YMCA
• 10 a.m.: KC Cache Dash kicks off and the four Range Rovers depart Garmin to start searching
• Noon: Expo wraps up at Garmin, festivities head north to Land Rover Merriam
• 1 pm: Expo begins at Land Rover Merriam (9400 W. 65^th St., Merriam)
• 4 pm: All Range Rovers must be back at Land Rover Merriam
• 4:30: Awards Ceremony, allocation of donations and announcement of fundraising results

In the weeks leading up to the event, the teams and their Range Rovers will be introduced through the @KCCacheDash Twitter handle and Facebook event page. These teams will include avid geocachers from Kansas and Missouri, representing very active clubs in Topeka, Wichita, St. Joseph and Kansas City. Joining them in the Range Rovers will be social media specialists from the Kansas City area, using the tools of their trade to spread the word about their team’s progress and the charities they’re representing. And each team will be equipped with Garmin’s newest automotive devices and rugged outdoor handhelds for efficient navigation and geocaching.

In addition to being introduced to the four charities, expo visitors will have the chance to learn about geocaching and OpenCaching.com, try the activity themselves and build a cache of their own to take home and hide. Garmin engineers and employees will be on hand to demonstrate the devices and answer any questions that may arise from participating youth groups, classrooms, scout troops and families.
About the charities

• KidsTLC has a mission to provide opportunities that transform kids and families in crisis while ensuring a safe environment. The group believes that the least we can do for children who have been abandoned, abused, neglected and thrown away, is to offer the opportunity to forge a healthy life for themselves. http://kidstlc.org/ Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateTLC
• Project Uplift is an all-volunteer homeless outreach program founded in 1990. Uplift survives by donations and supporters’ personal commitment to feed and clothe the area's homeless. Our goal is to deliver to the homeless those basic human needs, care and compassion that are not usually received from other organizations. http://www.uplift.org Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateUplift
• Sleepyhead Beds has delivered hundreds of beds to area children – connecting families with unused beds with families who desperately want and deserve the comfort their own bed provides. These services also benefit the community and environment by keeping hundreds of large, bulky mattresses out of area landfills. http://www.sleepyheadbeds.org Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateSHB
• YMCA of Greater Kansas City is an inclusive organization of men, women and children joined together by a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility. Everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive at the Y. http://www.kansascityymca.org/ Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateYMCA