The full set of 14 wooden nickels available to be found in the geocaching activity. The Westfield 350 nickel in the center is not a part of the collection. (Image submitted)
WESTFIELD- The Westfield Boy Scouts are taking part in the Westfield 350 celebrations by hosting a geocaching activity meant to bring people to historic parts of Westfield beginning the weekend of April 20th.
At 14 locations throughout the city there will be a small cache containing a log book for those who find it to sign, some historical information about the location and the city, and a small wooden nickel with a logo representing a business or institution in Westfield on one side. The other side of each coin will feature the Westfield 350 logo.
“The geocache wooden nickel activity gives local business a low-cost way of tying into the 350 excitement,” said David Flaherty, the organizer for the event, “For 15 cents per potential customer, they can offer special promotions to bring in business.”
Some examples of promotions Flaherty gave were a retail store giving a 10 percent discount for those who bring in the black squirrel nickel, or a restaurant offering a free appetizer in May if someone brings in the “Whip City” nickel. The cost to sponsor a nickel is 150 dollars for 1,000 nickels or 15 cents per potential customer.
The custom logos for potential sponsors were sold out as of March 25th. However, the shared sponsorships of the black squirrel and the buggy whip logos are still up for grabs. In order to be a sponsor, one must register their business by April 16th at 8 p.m..
“Businesses with custom logo also offer special promotions,” said Flaherty, “For example, Yellow StoneHouse Farm is offering free reusable grocery bags for people who show their wooden nickel (one per family).”
Flaherty said that, while the caches will not be hidden like a normal geocache box would be, one may still have to wrack their brain to find the nickels. Those who participate will be given a set of coordinates for each location, but they must locate the caches themselves when they arrive.
“GPS or a GPS app will be used to lead people to the cache locations. Some [nickels] may require basic map skills or solving puzzles,” said Flaherty, “The goal is to have fun and get people to see some historic places or things in Westfield.”
Flaherty added that the logo on the nickel will not necessarily have anything to do with the locations of the sponsors printed on them.
Each coin will also have a unique serial number from 0001 to 1000, for if people decide they want to collect the coins. Flaherty said that the set of coins with the serial number of 350 will be auctioned off on eBay.
