Seek, then Destroy!

1st Seek, Then Destroy, May 23, 2024

By J. S. Browning, Baled It Co-Founder, June 22, 2024

We want to share how warmly grateful we are to everyone that came back in May to hang out at our first ever Baling It at Pine Bar event.

Seventeen of y’all split into four teams (The Hares, The Paynes, The Sexy Six, and R3) and competed in our first ever Seek, Then Destroy pub run scavenger hunt. Granted: it had a few operational creases to iron out. I’m going to have to adjust the some formulae behind the scenes.

Nevertheless, it was all-in-all a fun evening for fitness. Y’all ran around Old Cloverdale and took selfies with SO many random fire hydrants lol. I can also report that y’all missed some of the clues, and those will be recycled back in to the next Seek, Then Destroy coming this Fall. Team R3 took home the win this time, they will be the team to beat.

With the donations that we received that evening, we will be able to start a whole new bale garden for a community in need. We started Baled It! in 2022 and have been more active each year. In addition to our work at David’s Community Garden of Life (by Help A Brother Out Foundation), we will be looking to add more bale gardens in local communities with limited access to fresh foods. We are tentatively scheduled to consult with a neighborhood organization in July, and if all goes well, your donations will start the garden that improves the diet, mental health, and fitness of a Montgomery resident that may not have otherwise had access to the benefit of low-cost, low-effort hay bale gardening.

5/23/2024 Seek, Then Destroy results…

Seek, Then Destroy is a seasonal game that occurs in the historic Old Cloverdale area of Montgomery, Alabama. It is one of many periodic, curated events that follow a pub run starting at Pine Bar, located at 501 Cloverdale Rd, Montgomery, AL 36106.

For more details on the event, see guidelines below:

Part I: Seek

You think you know where everything is in Old Cloverdale? Then come put your local knowledge to the test and run around the neighborhood pedestrian trail to find a variety of clues. You or your canine companion not up for running? Want to ride your bike instead? Not sure what to do with the stroller-bound child (…don’t put your partner in a stroller…)? No problem! We’ve incorporated strollers, dogs, and cyclists into the game! And we’re taking suggestions if you have an idea that will include another mode of mobility! We just want you to have fun exercising!

Part II: Then Destroy

Scavenger hunt strategy isn’t the only strategy you will need to employ in order to win this game. In “Part II: Then Destroy”, your scavenger hunt points will be converted to “attack points” and the total distance your team covers in the 30 minute time limit will be converted to “health points”. Teams will then take turns using a portion of their “attack points” to subtract from the “health points” of their opponents.

Cost to Participate
We are asking that participants provide a minimum donation. Donations will be used for funding garden projects with our partners and fiscal sponsor, Help A Brother Out Foundation.

Walker and runners: $5.00
Bicyclists: $10.00 (See Gameplay #3 below for the reasoning behind the increased minimum donation)

Follow the link below to pre-register. Just be sure to enter your contact information on the payment page so we can confirm your registration. Please register individually; you can form a team later.

You can donate using touchless tech before the game begins, or pre-pay with the “Donate Now” link to our Square below.

Donate Now
What You Need
  1. A smartphone, with a camera, and a walk/run/bike app that tracks distance and pace
  2. A competitive spirit and a mind for strategy
Rules
  1. Participants 18 & under have to be accompanied by adult at all times 
  2. 2 to 6 people per team. Limit one bike per team
    Note: It is to your advantage to form the maximum size team, so if you want to combine with another team at the last minute that is fine!
  3. EVERYONE starts at the same time from Pine Bar when the Game Host releases participants to hunt.
  4. A link to the list of clues will be posted in our Instagram and Facebook stories just after 6PM. Follow us on social media, or get someone that does to send you the link.
  5. “Part One: Seek” has a 30 minute time limit. If your entire team isn’t assembled back at Pine Bar after 30 min, then your team loses attack points earned until everyone has returned. For the first 10 minutes your team is late, the team is penalized -1 pt/min; -2 pts/min if up to 15 minutes late, and forfeit at 16+ minutes late. Don’t hold up the game, we will be waiting on you. Point penalties are not per player, just if the whole team hasn’t returned after 30 minutes.
  6. Please be respectful of the neighborhood. Clean up after yourself. Try not to make TOO much noise. Do not go into anyone’s yard or onto any private property. Do not take pictures of strangers, or their personal stuff.
  7. Use the pedestrian trail as your route; all clues can be found on or near the pedestrian trail. However, should you expand your run out further, then the exact boundaries that you should not cross at all are: Norman Bridge Rd, Fairview Ave, Narrow Lane, and Carter Hill Rd.
Gameplay
  1. The “Game Host” will keep the official time. “Part One: Seek” will be over exactly 30 minutes after host released participants to hunt.
  2. Runners and walkers score points for the entire team during Part 1: Seek. They do this by taking a selfie (or pic of their teammate) with the clue target.
  3. Since bicycles cover more ground and would probably win if there was a team of bikers, then aren’t allowed to score. But they can scout for clues and alert their team of the location. (And total team distance matters, more on that below)
  4. The vast majority of clues can be seen from the Cloverdale pedestrian trail, a sidewalk, or a park. (See #7 in the rules above for exact boundaries that you should not cross at all.)
  5. ALL participants must track and show the map of their distance covered with the run/walk/mapping app of their choice. Honor system.
  6. Your team’s tallied distance covered and clue points will be converted into Health Points and Attack Points for Part Two: Then Destroy.
  7. “Part Two: Then Destroy” will begin once all teams have returned from “Part One: Seek,” and it will take place in rounds until there is only one team left with HEALTH points.
  8. The first team to assemble back at Pine Bar has the option to either attack first or force another team to attack first. (BUT They are not protected from a forced attack)
  9. For the sake of sportsmanship: No team can be eliminated in Round One.