Kevin Laube and Corey Husted. Photo by Matthew Wood
By Matthew Wood
Why were a bunch of dudes wandering around the corner of Bacon and Newport this morning? They were looking for some cold, hard cash.
It’s part of the festivities for this weekend’s OB Oktoberfest. The contest is called “Find the Schnitzengruben.” Organizers are leaving 10 envelopes full of $10 bills around OB, then tweeting out clues as to where they are.
Whoever finds it keeps the money, up to $150.
Kevin Laube and Corey Husted were among the dozens of people – almost entirely males – searching the street, sidewalks, alleys and everywhere else for the cash today. It took them all morning, but they were finally able to find the envelope tucked in the wall of the building on the southeast side of Newport.
“Corey called this morning,” Laube said. “We went down to the beach at around 8:30.”
They thought the first clue – about searching high and low – had something to do with the tides.
But after another clue about Bacon and Newport, they joined the others in a search that lasted until just before noon.
This morning’s was the fifth envelope so far, says Erin Dvorachek, a marketing strategist for Blooming Footprint. They are working with the Hoy Hoy Boys to help promote this weekend’s Oktoberfest.
“It’s one of those sort of pay-it-forward situations,” she said. “The community has given so much to us, we want to give some back.”
She said a total of $1,000 will be given out, adding that the latest one was by far the hardest to find.
There are five more envelopes to go. Four will be hidden on Friday for the first day of the Oktoberfest. The final envelope will be just for participants in Saturday morning’s Brat Trot on the beach.
Laube and Husted’s envelope contained $110, money the Point Loma natives and recent college grads say they could really use.
“We’re on the job hunt,” Husted (San Diego State) said. “I said, ‘Let’s go make some money today.’”
Laube (Stanford) took a more pragmatic approach … for a minute.
“I’m gonna invest it,” he said, before pausing. “And we’ll be at Wonderland tonight.”
Follow the cash stash contest on Twitter @OBOktoberfest. And check out all the weekend festivities on the Oktoberfest website. http://www.oboktoberfest.com/
{ 0 comments… add one now }