What the heck?: Kick off the New Year with a little fun! A Geocaching Event to help you trade in that present that didn't quite work for you, for something new and exciting! Join us for an exciting afternoon of caching, regifting and fun for everyone! This was an event born out of the fact that we get lots of gifts each year that we would like to regift! So, what the heck! Let's do an event to kick off the year!

What the???

Wow, thanks - Can't wait to not wear it!

Where: The Children's Museum of Waterloo Region. Located on King St. between Ontario and Queen. PLEASE ENTER VIA THE FRONT DOORS ONLY ( Parking is available in several locations - Waypoints posted below)

When: New Year's Day, Noon to 3:30pm (Approx - Upped the difficulty to 3 because of the start time! Might be trouble for some!)

Cost: There is no cost to this event, however a donation of at least $5 per person would help us offset the cost of the Museum rental for the day. If you wish to see the GPS Adventures Exhibit, you will be required to pay the full entrance fee of $10 in cash. That way you can claim two finds in one day!!

Timeline:

12:00pm - 1:00pm - Arrival/Registration - Here is how it will work:

- Step 1 - Sign the Log Book
- Step 2 - Put on a Nametag
- Step 3 - Put your Food on the Food table
- Step 4 - Put your Kids Gift on the appropriate table
- Step 5 - Give your wrapped gift to the gift coordinator who will assign it a number and give you a slip of paper to put inside a container of your choice that corresponds to your gift. (NOTE: You may bring your own container, but due to the possibility of muggles, you should consider using a micro/nano container. Micro containers will be available if you don't have one!).
- Once you have completed the above, head out into the city and nearby parks and hide their cache anywhere and mark the coordinates. Groups have until 1pm to hide and return with Coordinates. You can make it as difficult as you like, however please remember that groups have only approx 45 minutes to find the cache and make it back, so be a little bit kind! 12 stage multi's are fine if they are fast! IMPORTANT NOTE: Caches must be placed within walking distance to the Museum. So no further than 800m - 1000m away please!!

1:00pm - All groups return to the Museum and submit Coordinates. Potluck Lunch begins! TB and coin exchange is available as well.

1:30pm - Kids games! - MORE INFO TO COME

2:00pm - Drawing of Coordinates: Each group picks out Coordinates from a "hat" and they go off in search of the "Cache"! Once you have made the find, bring your container back to the Museum! YOU MUST RETURN TO THE MUSEUM BY 3pm (even if you don't find your cache container)

3:00pm - Gather up and the gift coordinator will hand out the gifts based on your number you have returned with!

3:30pm - Event ends. Please log your find on the page and include what you received! If you would like to stay and help clean up, please let me know!

Who:

• GeeOCachers (beelow) is the main organizer and kids games coordinator
• Other helpers needed! Check below for details and let me know what you want to help with!
  

More Details:

• Each cacher (or family/group) that attends is asked to bring a wrapped gift of any size to "regift" to another cacher as well as an unopened small gift for kids (under $5.00 or so - please bring the same amount of kids gifts as you have children. ie: 2 kids = 2 gifts. Kids can regift too!). If you have no children it would be great if you brought a kid gift as well, but you aren't obligated. Any extra kids gifts will be donated after the event to the Museum!
• Your "regift" can be an actual regift (which is always fun) or if you got everything you wanted you can purchase something! Gifts can be large or small, expensive or inexpensive, ugly or cute! It's up to you what you regift! You can include a note or make it anonymous! You'll want to bring your own micro/nano, etc to hide the gift number around the city. If you don't have one, we have plenty of film canisters and camo tape for you!!
• If you wish to get your container back, please make sure you pick it up after the event and leave a note for the finder that you would like it back. Any left over containers will be put to good use later on!
• This is a Pot-Luck event so please bring along a dish. Electricity is available for those crock pots, etc!

Bringing:

• Paper Plates, Forks, Knives, etc -Muddy Mae and Max Power
• Papertowels/Napkins - 2 Land rovers
• Coffee, Hot Chocolate Large Coffee Makers, Cream and Sugar & Plastic Cups - Galloping Gourmet
• Drinks - (Water) - EFD118 & (pop and juice) - brendah

Helpers:

• Travel Bug Exchange Coordinator - Muddy Mae and Max Power
• Gift Coordinator - Geocite

Prizes : We have a couple of geocoins and some other swag courtesy of the Children's Museum! We have also received generous prizes from cacherstoybox and thecachingplace.

From Wikipedia: Regifting is the act of taking a gift that has been received and giving it to somebody else, sometimes in the guise of a new gift. One example of a formalization of this activity are the white elephant gift exchanges, in which items can be regifted from year to year.

The term originated on an episode of the NBC sitcom Seinfeld ("The Label Maker"). In the episode, the character Elaine calls Dr. Tim Whatley a "regifter" after he gives Jerry Seinfeld a label-maker that was originally given to Whatley by Elaine, although the practice pre-dates the term substantially.

Several rules of etiquette are proposed in popular media regarding regifting; they include rewrapping the gift, not using the gift before regifting it, and not giving the gift back to the original gift-giver. However, a consumer survey indicated that a majority of people regift because they perceive the gift will be appreciated by the receiver, a slight majority said that they don't find regifting rude, and a significant number do so to save money.