Pay it Forward
by Linda Holman, Shuai Chen
Answer: ❤️
At the start of the Hunt, teams learn about the Pay It Forward Scavenger Hunt listed on the Events page. They are directed to search The Tech for an ad with additional details about the items teams can donate to local charities for the scavenger hunt, and where to drop them off.
The scavenger hunt could be completed at any time, but the only thing teams receive in return is the opportunity to take a team photo holding a sign that says: All You Need Is ❤️
Later in the hunt, when teams finally unlock the Pay It Forward puzzle, they only need to realize that they have already earned the emoji heart solution for the puzzle.
We were impressed with the final results teams accomplished:
| Charity | Task | Points Earned | Total Donated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Animal Rescue League of Boston | Create a small bird house | 4 per birdhouse | 14 birdhouses plus kitchen supplies |
| It Gets Better Project | Submit a video for the project | 4 per submission | 4 videos |
| MIT Puzzle Club | Submit a (campus location) clue for a ClueKeeper Mystery Hunt History Tour | 4 per clue | 43 tour clues |
| Operation Gratitude | Bring 2 pages of paper and 2 postage stamps for writing thank-you notes to military/veterans | 1 per 2 notes | 150 notes |
| Cambridge House | Bring 2 pages of cardstock/paper, make 2 birthday cards for seniors | 1 per 2 cards | 134 cards |
| The Environment | Trash Pick-up: Pick up one grocery bag worth of trash and take a selfie for verification | 1 per bag | 49 bags |
| Cranes for a Cure | Fold origami cranes using 6" or 3" square paper | 1 per 20 cranes | 1840 cranes |
| Animal Rescue League of Boston | Knit or crochet a security blanket for a medium sized dog or cat | 10 per blanket | 12 blankets |
| American Rescue Crafters Connect | Knit or crochet a Joey Pouch for an Australian rescue kangaroo | 5 per pouch | 3 pouches |
| Food Bank | Canned food donation | 1 per 4 cans | 764 cans |
| Rosie's Place | Clothing or reusable bags donation | 1 per 4 items | 672 items |
| Cradles to Crayons | Toy donation, bring a new toy in original packaging | 1 per toy | 138 toys |
| More Than Words | Book donation | 1 per 2 books | 446 books |
| Left Out Write In | Any charitable donation or activism of your choice | 3 per act | 50+ other donations |