(Image submitted)
WESTFIELD- The Friends of the Westfield 350th sub-committee of special projects is running a city-wide ‘treasure hunt’ as part of the ongoing celebrations for Westfield’s 350th birthday.
Residents are tasked with locating 16 places across the city based on clues and pictures on postcards that can be picked up at several locations in Westfield. Each of the 16 locations are historic or iconic places in Westfield chosen by Holly Robbins, a member of the Westfield 350 Special Projects Committee.
“I had originally picked a lot more than 16 locations,” said Robbins, “the locations I picked were considered because of how safe they were to get to.”
Residents can pick up the forms to participate in the hunt at the Athenaeum, the Mayor’s office, the office of The Westfield News, or they can be downloaded online beginning next week. The signup sheets and the postcards were printed at Westfield State University, according to Special Projects Committee member Mary O’Connell. The postcard contest will run until April 30th.
Mary O’Connell, member of the Westfield 350 Special Projects Sub-Committee. (WNG file photo)
“We envisioned this as a fun thing that kids can participate in,” said O’Connell, “we saw it as a group activity for kids and families or friends to do together.”
Robbins said that part of her goal with this event was to get people to take a closer look at the city and some of the details which they may miss during their day-to-day lives. She added that she was looking for landmarks, works of art, or pieces of architecture that people would normally not pay much mind to.
“When I ran this by different people in the committee, they didn’t know what some of the locations were,” said Robbins, “and yet they walk by them every day.”
A first, second, and third place winner will be chosen at the end of the event. The placements will be based on the number of locations that can be identified. The first-place winner will receive $100 of Westfield apparel and a gift certificate for a restaurant in downtown Westfield. The second and third place winners will receive just the gift certificate.
One example from the 16 postcards depicts an unnamed site within Westfield. It reads, “Dear lilla, I visited Westfield today for a normal school class reunion, and I just can’t believe kids can get their driver’s license here now at the ____’, sincerely, Dr. Courtney.”
Robbins is hopeful that this event will get more people out into the city.
“We’re hoping we can get young people who are on their computers and phones a lot to do this,” said Robbins, “this will get them off their phones and into the fresh air to actually look at their surroundings.”
