Hellertown Resident Wins $1,000 in Local Scavenger Hunt

As a relatively recent arrival to Hellertown, Jennifer Ligo thought the Saucon Scavenger Hunt sponsored by local realtor Johnathan Cummings earlier this month sounded like a fun way to learn more about the area she now calls home. And the idea of winning $1,000–the grand prize Cummings supplied–was added motivation to participate.

Ligo, who said she liked how the competition for prizes “gamified” the scavenger hunt, ultimately became the grand prize winner by correctly completing the most challenges between May 6 and May 12. She received her prize from Cummings on Friday in the borough’s Dimmick Park, where he presented her with a ceremonial check.

“It was fun,” said Ligo, who felt she learned quite a bit about businesses and other Saucon Valley locations just by participating in the scavenger hunt.

She said knowledge of the area she already possessed made completing some of the challenges easy, but she was stumped by a few questions, one of which was about local history.

Cummings said no one correctly guessed the original name of Rt. 412, which is Main Street in Hellertown. Long before it was known by either of those names, it was Kings Highway.

Another tough question was about a unique staircase inside Saucon Valley Bikes, which is partly made out of metal bicycle spools, he said.

Cummings, of Lower Saucon Township, said about 150 people competed in the scavenger hunt, with 80 to 90 of them participating in it extensively.

He said he was happy with the level of participation and plans to sponsor a second annual Saucon Scavenger Hunt next year, when it may be expanded it to include Lower Saucon points of interest. Along with the Hellertown locations, Cummings included two Upper Saucon Township destinations–Flint Hill Farm and the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley–in this year’s hunt.

In order to hold the event, Cummings worked with Hellertown borough officials–including the police department–to ensure that the challenges would be safe for everyone.

He also thoughtfully designed the scavenger hunt to benefit area residents in need. A realtor with Better Homes & Gardens Cassidon Realty in Bethlehem, Cummings has committed to donating a matching $1,000 to the Cassidon Foundation in support of children’s charities, and he created challenges that would directly help people in Hellertown.

Among the challenges included in the scavenger hunt were donation of a book to a local Little Free Library and donating a nonperishable food item to a blessing box in the borough.

“I was happy with it,” said Cummings of his creation. “I learned a lot just making the game.”

He added that he plans to provide the answers to all 50 challenges to everyone who participated in the scavenger hunt.