Maine couple offers $20,000 prize for solving their elaborate treasure hunt three years in the making
A Maine couple have hidden $20,000 somewhere in the state and they're inviting treasure seekers to come and get it.
To take part, adventurers have to buy a deck of cards for $19.99 or a collector's edition with electronic flash cards for $39.99 and follow the clues to find the seven Dirigo stones which have been hidden around the Pine Tree State.
The creators of the treasure hunt and the company behind the hunt, Dirigo Treasures LLC, are Kurt and Kelly Stokes of Newcastle, Maine.
'Dirigo' is the state motto of Maine and means 'I lead' in Latin.
The couple spent three years exploring and photographing locations around the state before creating an elaborate hide-and-seek game.
'We created the game to celebrate Maine´s 200 years of statehood,' Kurt Stokes told the Lincoln Country News.
'What better way to celebrate Maine than to get people out of the house, out of their town and exploring parts of the state they never knew existed?'
Kurt and Kelly Stokes of Newcastle, Maine, spent three years devising the elaborate treasure hunt. They've hidden $20,000 around the state, and challenged people to solve the riddles contained on playing cards
A series of elaborate clues and riddles leads players on a treasure hunt across the state of Maine for the $20,000 prize
The playing cards proved especially popular: both the regular deck of cards ($19.99) and the collector's set ($39.99) have sold out
Finding the Dirigo treasure will involve solving a secret, a riddle and a puzzle.
However, it may be too late to sign up. Since going on sale on April 7, the cards appear to have sold out. It's unclear if more cards will go on sale.
A dollar from each sale going to the Maine Cancer Foundation.
The couple ensured that the quest for the hidden treasure is legal, ethical and environmentally responsible.
'We abided by the principles of leaving no trace,' Kurt Stokes said.
Writing on Facebook, Kelly Stokes said she and her husband had been working on the game for several years.
She said it was 'great for family outings or you may wish to become highly competitive' to win cash.
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