Mark "The Cat" - Children in Need 2004 Event Cache

STOP PRESS:
First new cache planted for the event

Second new cache planted for the event

Third new cache planted for the event

As many will know, Mark "The Cat" Thompson left us unexpectedly in September. It was Mark’s practice to hold a fund raising event each year in aid of Children in Need. This involved Mark driving thousands of miles around the UK meeting up with geocachers who exchanged folding paper for Pudsey Bear biscuits.

With Mark’s sad departure there is a void to be filled. While I can’t see that anyone would want to adopt such a punishing way to raise money, there is a Plan B.

One of Mark’s other passions was beer, ale and the quaffing of such. So I think it is fitting to hold an event this year on the Sunday of Children in Need weekend where geocachers can partake in three of Mark’s passions. Geocaching, beer and fundraising.

The location of the event is the Leggers in Dewsbury, W Yorkshire. The Leggers is by the canal basin in the town and is a real ale pub of some renown. A regular entry in the CAMRA Good Beer Guide it regularly boasts six or more real ales on the bar, as well as the excellent Belgian Hoegardden spiced wheat beer.

The management of the Leggers have kindly waived their usual booking fee for the spacious private function room adjoining the main bar area. This will give us a great place to meet without the intrusion from Sunday Roast eaters and Big Screen football watchers. It also means that we can hold the event on a Sunday which should boost attendance. Children are welcome as long as they stay away from the bar area. The only down side is that the bar is on the first floor and as such is not suitable for wheelchair users.
The Leggers do not do a full meal service but they do a great Pie & Peas. A number of different pies are available. I will get fuller details closer to the event. Pre-ordering would be appreciated.

I have a number of fund raising ideas, the main one being a travel bug race. “The Cat” CIN travel bugs will be on sale on the day. Each bug will have a small numbered laminated “Cat” tag but you are welcome to bring an additional item that you can add to the bug chain. The bugs will be randomly released throughout the world shortly after the event and after a predetermined period (haven’t decided yet) the bug that has gained the most points will win a prize. Points will be awarded for a combination of countries visited, mileage travelled and times moved. Again the details of this have not been decided yet. The Harrogate Hunters have kindly donated the prize for this race.

I also hope to run a raffle on the day. The donation of prizes for the raffle will be most welcome. Please let me know in advance what you will be bringing.

There will be a number of nearby new caches available to do on the day.

==================================== Further info

Part of the fund raising for the Mark "the Cat" Children In Need Event is a travel bug race with an as yet unnanouced Grand Prize donated by Harrogate Hunters.

Although the rules are a little bit woolly at the moment, I feel the time is right to start the ball rolling. I have made up a number of bugs (27 as of this moment, all with a laminated tag showing a different breed of cat on one side and a narrative on the other explaining about the event and a little about the influence that Mark had on the UK geocaching scene over the last couple of years. Each tag is numbered.

The general idea is that travel bugs will be simultaneously released in various parts of the world and gain points under an as yet undecided system involving miles travelled and times found by different cachers. I know it's vague, but it will become clearer when I've had time to think of some rules.

My proposal is to sell entries for 5 pounds to cover the cost of the tag and postage to far flung parts of the world plus a donation of however much you feel like giving to the worthy cause. No minimum, no maximum, no publicity. There will be no league table showing who gave most, I'm not into that kind of thing.

Now here's the rub. Anyone who purchases a travel bug in the next week. ie before next Saturday, will have their bug released in some part of the USA. I am going to Austin on the 8th November and will give some to my friends there, some will be mailed to people I know in other parts of the USA. All will be released into the wild at around the same time after the Event on the 21st November. So although you will not get the 4000 odd miles for the transatlatic trip, you will have your bugs released in prime geocaching country.

Anyone who wants to have a bug released over there, please email me for payment instructions.

This offer is not restricted to UK geocachers. I have had enquiries from the States already. Anyone, anywhere in the world can buy a bug and participate in the race.

As well as the main prize, there will also be a special "Numbers" prize for the bug that clocks up the highest mileage by fair means or foul. Mileage can only be claimed by a bug being present at a geocache (real or virtual) but the bug can travel from cache to cache by whatever means is available - post, plane or carrier pigeon. Use your initiative.