Puzzle-solving event goes virtual

By Carrie Dyer

Known as one of Dallas’ most distinctive fundraising events, The Great Adventure Hunt, presented by PNC Bank, is back April 16 for its 11th year, but with a virtual twist. The Great Adventure Hunt (known as ‘The Hunt” to aficionados) benefits ChildCareGroup, the area’s largest, oldest and most comprehensive early childhood education provider. 

This year ChildCareGroup is celebrating its 120th year with events celebrating the history and future of childcare and early childhood education. Like past Hunts, this year’s virtual event will feature teams of six solving “Escape Room” — like puzzles centered on The Hunt’s 2021 theme, “A Night at the Movies.” 

The Hunt’s attire has always been different from other galas around Dallas, and this year will be even more unique. 

Participants (called “Hunters”) are encouraged to dress in their favorite movie-star attire, whether that means lounge wear or red carpet fashion, to compete in a next-level Hunt that mirrors how children learn best — through play. To solve the puzzles, Hunters will use all the basic domains of learning that ChildCareGroup teaches its young students: language and literacy, cognitive and early STEM, fine and gross motor and social-emotional skills. 

Each team will receive a hand-delivered, customized PNC Bank Clue Bag as well as refreshments sponsored by Bank of Texas. At 6:30 p.m. April 16, teams will login to a special event web site for a short presentation, announcements by the Puzzle Pros and instructions on accessing the Puzzle Engine. 

Hunters will have 90 minutes to solve the puzzles and send their answer sheets back electronically to be tallied. 

The event will conclude with a few outgoing remarks and an announcement of the winners. 

“On behalf of PNC Bank, we are honored to serve as the presenting sponsor and co-chairs of The Great Adventure Hunt benefiting ChildCareGroup, one of our most significant community relationships in North Texas,” said Brendan McGuire, PNC regional president and head of Corporate Banking for North Texas. 

“PNC is closely aligned with ChildCareGroup’s mission, as we seek to provide high quality early childhood education resources to impact school readiness through our $500 million early childhood education initiative, PNC Grow Up Great.”

Last year, The Great Adventure Hunt raised more than $250,000 to support ChildCare-Group’s nationally accredited early childhood education programs. 

This year ChildCareGroup and the Hunt’s event co-chairs, Helen and Brendan McGuire and Amber and John Scanlan, hope to surpass that number, especially with high-quality childcare being such a critical topic in the North Texas community. 

For more information or to purchase tickets to participate in the Hunt, visit childcare-group.org.

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