CALGARY -- It’s called The Great YYC Staycation and was designed to help boost Calgary’s economy. The family friendly event is about having fun competing in physical and virtual challenges to earn points and win tens of thousands of dollars' worth of amazing prizes all while supporting our local community.

"It was difficult obviously doing something like this during COVID-19," said co-founder Graeme Edge. "That’s something we were very sensitive to – should we do this and if we do, how do we do it in the safest possible way and in a responsible way?"

The idea was formed in late June at an event called BounceBackYYC Hackathon and was hosted at Mount Royal University. Eighty students from Calgary’s post secondary institutions got together to brainstorm ideas. The four areas of focus at the event were on tourism and hospitality, retail and restaurants, sports and recreation along with arts and culture.

Molly Beckham and Kim Trischuk from the University of Calgary’s Commerce program teamed up with Theresa Ranallo in MRU Communications/PR. Their mentors for the project were Edge and his wife Michelle. The original idea was called StillYYC that focused on increasing foot traffic in the downtown core and highlighting local businesses through a gamified adventure.

"The Great YYC Staycation is an opportunity for all Calgarians to rediscover, explore and ultimately have fun while adventuring in their own backyard this summer while supporting the businesses that keep our communities strong, bonded and thriving," said Trischuk in a release.

"This is a great way to help boost the economy but it won’t work if people aren’t following the rules based around COVID-19," said Beckham. "So we want this to be a safe event, we want people to enjoy it and have fun but at the end of the day we really want to protect the community so that’s number one."

Now, the The Great YYC Staycation is set to kick off July 24 and run until August 23rd. It’s billed as the biggest ever global scavenger hunt and organizers hope to break the Guinness World Record that currently stands at 14,580 participants.

This scavenger hunt includes 250 activities that will be spread throughout Calgary.

"So we don’t want to reveal at this stage," said Edge. "But a lot of it is outside and free and a lot of activities are tied to supporting local businesses, getting people safely into those areas to support those businesses."

The initiative has gained an amazing amount of support from corporate Calgary according to Edge.

"Since the inception of the idea two weeks ago, we have already gained the support of over a dozen major brands as sponsors and corporate partners including RBC, EY, Enbridge, TC Energy and Husky Energy," said Edge. "We have had Calgary Economic Development, the Alberta Government and the Calgary Zoo also get behind the idea as activation and comms partners."

Learn more about the scavenger hunt online.