Red Deer podcasters hosting city-wide treasure hunt

Podcasters Ryan Lund, Kevin Walsh, Dustin Moore, and Ted Emmett are hosting a treasure hunt in Red Deer, Alta.

RED DEER -

A local podcast is hosting a city-wide treasure hunt to celebrate Red Deer.

The “Oh, Deer…” podcast is run by Ryan Lund, Kevin Walsh, Dustin Moore, and Ted Emmett, long-time friends who thought of doing a Red Deer focused podcast while sitting at a local pub.

“Like all good ideas, it started over a few bears…and then a few more beers,” said Lund. 

The group tossed around the idea for a couple of months, and then, before the second lockdown in December, they recorded and released their first episode. 

“We just finally bit the bullet when restrictions were coming in,” said Walsh.

“It was something to do. It was something to pass the time.”

After their first episode, they received an unexpected positive response. 

“We figured a couple of our friends would listen, and get some laughs from it, but then local businesses started sharing it and really liked the idea of listening local,” said Emmett. 

Thirteen episodes later, the podcast has more than 10,000 listens.

They have interviewed local business owners, and people within the city, with the goal of sharing conversations that they would have at the pub with a wider audience. 

“It’s pretty easy to get down on where you live, especially in the times we are going through, and we thought let’s celebrate where we live,” Emmett said. 

As a Red Deer business owner, Walsh said it was important that the podcast promote local businesses. 

“I know the importance of shopping local,” Walsh said.

“We need to sustain the shop-local movement, and make it strong, so it will last past the pandemic.”

Now, they’ve teamed up with Tourism Red Deer for a city-wide treasure hunt from July 11 to July 17.

Teams will follow daily clues that will take them to landmarks and businesses all over Red Deer. The team who has unlocked the most clues by July 17, will be crowned the winner and receive the final treasure chest worth more than $1,000. 

“People have been cooped up for so long, they’re looking for something to do in the summer,” Walsh said.

“Get out with your family or your friends, bike ride around Red Deer, have some fun, exercise your brain, and visit some great local businesses.” 

Lund said, just like the podcast, the treasure hunt is a way to celebrate the City of Red Deer. 

“It’s kind of nice to give something to a city that has given us so much,” Lund said.

“A lot of businesses don’t have a lot of money right now, obviously, because of COVID-19, so this is just a less expensive way to get involved and to give back to the community as well.”

More than 40 teams have already registered. 

To register for free, or for more information, email [e-mail].