Amazing Race – Hamilton style
The Gore Park fountain is a fixture in Hamilton's downtown core. Students from McMaster and Mohawk College will be in the area Friday as part of the MyHamilton Amazing Race competition, which will see them perform challenges at various participating businesses.
More than 20 students from McMaster and Mohawk College have a unique date scheduled with the city Friday.
They won’t require fancy clothes – in fact, sweatshirts, jogging pants and running shoes are suggested – but Friday’s MyHamilton Amazing Race competition could be the beginning of a long-lasting love affair between the students and Hamilton.
The contest is modeled on the popular television show The Amazing Race and will see teams of four dash throughout the city’s downtown core in a bid to successfully perform challenges at 12 area businesses.
“We’re hoping this event is eye-opening for students,” says Gisela Oliveira, employment services coordinator for the Student Success Centre, which organized the event. “It’s an opportunity to learn about and discover the hidden gems in Hamilton.”
The race will help promote the Success Centre’s new mobile app, also called MyHamilton. The app crowd-sources information about city businesses from the Twitter hashtag #MyHamilton, and displays users comments on an interactive map.
The app features a Google map, coupons, local job postings and more.
“Hamilton has a strong sense of community,” says Kathy Woo, the Student Success Centre’s social media and digital communications officer. “The stream of #HamOnt news on Twitter is constantly filled with conversations, comments and pictures of Hamiltonians proudly sharing their love for their city. The MyHamilton Amazing Race is an opportunity for McMaster and Mohawk students to tap into that energy.
For more information, email wook7@mcmaster.ca. For a live broadcast of the event, tune in to Twitter following #MyHamilton conversations between 2:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 11.
