By painting a collection of brick books and hiding them around the community, Souderton Connects’ Beautification Committee hopes to get people engaged in local businesses through a fun and interactive scavenger hunt.
The hunt began on October 1, and will run until the end of the year.
Souderton Connects board member Amanda Davoli said that the idea for bricks painted to look like books originated from her social media feed.
“My thought [was] with how does it connect to Souderton specifically, and how could it be a cool thing for our organization to spend time on?” Davoli said.
According to Davoli, different ideas were discussed before the committee eventually settled on the idea of a scavenger hunt.
“It evolved into spreading them out and turning it into a fun activity, which is more engaging for the community,” Davoli said. “Inviting people to go out and seek something is a fun way to get folks actually on blocks that they would never have been on before.”
For Souderton Connects President Kylie Harrington, the main goal of the hunt is to make community members aware of the many businesses within Souderton.
“The purpose is to get the community, the public, out to participate so that they are able to see our businesses,” Harrington said. “So if they have a need for [a] service, they will use our local businesses instead of looking outside the area.”
Davoli said that another goal of the event is to give people who visit Souderton something unique to talk about and come back for.
“It’s memorable. The more you can do things like that, you build a sense of identity. And then once people understand what your identity is, it’s easier for them to tell a story about your town,” Davoli sais.
NF Landis fourth-generation family member Kristin Briscoe said that the idea of getting people more interested in the town’s businesses is one reason she wanted to get involved.
“You’re bringing in the new people, not just the people who have been here,” Briscoe said. “You’re drawing them back more and more, bringing them in and experiencing the new things that Souderton’s always bringing in.”
For Montgomery Theater Director of Development and Marketing Emma Drennen, the scavenger hunt is an easy way for community members to get involved.
“It feels very accessible to participate in. Maybe if I was somebody who was new to the area, or hadn’t been to an event before, this would be an easier one to start [with],” Drennen said.
According to Davoli, just the use of the bricks for this hunt is also special and specific to Souderton.
“Bricks are a part of our architectural identity,” Davoli said. “So when you’re trying to build the identity and brand of a town, identifying what’s unique about our town, and how you can celebrate that and make it a thing that people look for or appreciate, it’s just another layer to all of it.”
Harrington said that painting the bricks to look like books also speaks to the Beautification Committee’s name.
“[It] was something that we could incorporate art into. So more of a beautification, art installation if you will,” Harrington said.
Considering how new this kind of event is for the community, Harrington said that she’s unsure if it will be repeated in the future.
“We’re always creating new ideas and new adventures. So I don’t necessarily know if we’ll repeat this exact event, but it is something that we wanted to try out within the community,” Harrington said.