Race To Your Next Place will take place on May 19.
John Skrabec is a big fan of the Amazing Race.
He started watching the reality TV show that pits globe-trotting teams competing for a prize when it first started seven years ago and still watches the “pit stops” and “detours” of the two-person teams.
“I love it,” said Skrabec, a principal of LIVE Urban Real Estate, a locally owned boutique residential real estate company in West Highland.
From 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on May 19, LIVE Urban is sponsoring its own version of the Amazing Race, called the Race to Your Next Place.
In part, the race, a fund-raiser for Habitat for Humanity, was inspired by the Amazing Race, as well as the success of the format in other markets.
“Other event like this one have been done in other markets, and we thought we could do that in Denver,” Skrabec said. “For example, there was a very successful one in Atlanta. And there was a similar race in Denver to raise money for leukemia and lymphoma research. I actually finished second in that race a couple of years ago.”
But don’t worry. Unlike the Amazing Race, competing teams won’t have to eat anything disgusting or do anything that is potentially dangerous – or at even super-scary.
“There will be nothing like that,” Skrabec said. “All the challenges are home-related. ACE Hardware is one of our sponsors, so a number of stops are at ACE Hardware stores. For example, teams will get paint samples at an ACE Hardware store and will have to match them up. Another sponsor is a deck company, so in one challenge they will put together a deck. There also is a landscaping challenge where you have to move bags of mulch in a wheelbarrow. All of our challenges are something that everyone can do. You do not have to be in top physical condition to do them.”
There will be a maximum of 250 teams participating. The registration cost is $50 per person or $100 per team. The winning team gets a $10,000 cash price. All participants will receive a race t-shirt, food, beverages, pre- and post-race entertainment, and tote bag with coupons and goodies. Participants need not be runners – the event is based on strategy, not speed.
Unlike the TV show, team members won’t be visiting exotic locales such as Timbuktu or Thailand.
“It will all take place in the City and County of Denver, primarily in the urban neighborhoods that we serve – places like Park Hill, Baker, Washington Park, Highland and downtown.” Several of the stops will be at homes that LIVE Urban is listing.
Team members will each be issued a “passport” that will be stamped at each stop and they will be awarded points on the completion of the challenges. “You will know how many points you have accrued during the race, but you won’t know how many points needed to win until it is over”
Skrabec said there are still a lot of spots open.
“I think we are about a third sold out,” he said. “Last I checked, I think about 70 people had registered. We are really hoping to get 250 people and we can hand Habitat for Humanity a check for $25,000.”
He also hopes this will become an annual event.
“Every indication is that it will be, based on the interest from sponsors and registrations so far. This is really exciting. The most important thing is that we really feel like we are giving back to the community and helping Habitat for Humanity, a wonderful organization.”
To register, please go to this link.
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