Lincoln off-road scavenger hunt draws hundreds, raises money for kids

Lincoln’s Memorial Day weekend off-road tradition put children first Sunday as hundreds of riders turned the town into a fundraiser for local youth. By midmorning, about 500 people had signed up for the Blackfoot Valley Optimist Club’s annual scavenger hunt, and organizers said the turnout eventually climbed to roughly 560 to 570 participants.

The sixth edition of the event sent ATVs, motorcycles and side-by-sides onto a roughly 130-mile course through the Lincoln area, with riders stopping at checkpoints, solving clues and hunting for hidden prizes before heading to the next stop. The format has made the run a family-friendly draw, but the club’s purpose is more practical: raising money for children and youth programs in Lincoln and nearby communities.

Blackfoot Valley Optimist Club president Shayne Lindsay said the scavenger hunt is the club’s largest fundraiser. Organizers said proceeds go toward youth projects, activities and other community needs, and that the event has brought in a little more than $100,000 over the past seven years. Many of those projects, they said, come back to the club in a more personal way when local kids later tell members how the help made a difference.

The club itself is a young organization. Optimist International lists the Blackfoot Valley Optimist Club as chartered June 20, 2019, with Lindsay as president and the club sponsored by the Uptown-Great Falls Optimist Club. Even so, the scavenger hunt has already become one of the more recognizable dates on Lincoln’s calendar, especially over Memorial Day weekend, when the town’s off-road traffic picks up with other ATV and side-by-side rides across the Blackfoot Valley.

The annual hunt also gives the local economy a lift. Lindsay said the crowd benefits Lincoln as well as the club, with hotels, restaurants, fuel stops and other businesses seeing more traffic when riders flood into town. The event typically starts at Hooper Park in the center of Lincoln, drawing visitors into a small-town holiday weekend that now blends trail riding, puzzle solving and support for youth services in Lewis and Clark County.