Joe McWilliams
For Spotlight
The Irwin family of Slave Lake recently joined 11 people from various parts of the world to make a team in a one-week challenge called GISHWHES. It had them doing some wacky, interesting and funny stuff, all in the cause of good clean family fun.
GISHWHES stands for ‘The Greatest International Scavenger Hunt the World Has Ever SEEN. It was founded by television actor Misha Collins in 2011.
As the Irwins (Rob, Carrie and daughters Johanna and Rainah: team name – ‘Clam Dishers’) explained last week, the game consists of team members carrying out a series of tasks over a week, for which they are awarded points. Evidence of each accomplished task (video or photos) in to GISHWHES HQ.
Some of the tasks the Irwin family completed: Pouring wine from a second floor directly into the mouths of dinner guests; doing battle with a drone, dressed in kitchen armor; dressing up as a ‘dessert fairy’ and delivering ice cream to the local fire hall; producing a commercial for ‘Sin Screen’; setting up a ‘dog spa’ in public.
“Carrie had to do an illustration for the book ‘Trumpunzel,’ says Rob.
To name just a few.
How they got into the contest was through daughter Johanna, who had learned about it a couple of years ago through her familiarity with the TV show ‘Supernatural,’ in which Collins starred.
“She ragged her parents about it,” says Rob.
Teams are of 15. You can put together and register your own, “but if you don’t have 15 people who’ll be assigned,” says Johanna.
The latter is what happened in this case; other team members are from Australia and the U.S. It costs 19 bucks per person to register. After that is to spend time online with your team members, getting to know each other. Then, when the over 150 tasks are released, you discuss who is going to do what. Then off you go, for a week of fun.
And if you win?
“A trip to Iceland for the entire team,” says Carrie. At that point, the results were not in.
“It was a blast,” says Rob. “I would recommend it as an event for families or youth groups. It’s creative and fun.”
Plans are already afoot for Irwin participation in next year’s GISHWHES, for which, Carrie vows, they’ll be better prepared.
“We’re starting our own tickle trunk for costumes,” she says.
Rob: “We’ve got other families that are interested in Slave Lake.”
Carrie: “Sitting around watching TV isn’t doing it for us anymore after this.”
Entry fees go towards the charitable organization Random Acts of Kindness – also founded by Collins.
