hunt the fort official rules

These Official Rules, taken together with the Hamilton Center for Child Advocacy's HUNT THE FORT Terms & Conditions and the Publicity Release Form constitute a binding agreement as to your participation in the HUNT THE FORT EXPERIENCE. DO NOT PURCHASE GAME TICKETS OR PARTICIPATE IN THE HUNT THE FORT EXPERIENCE UNLESS YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTAND AND AGREE THESE OFFICIAL RULES, THE HUNT THE FORT EXPERIENCE TERMS & CONDITIONS AND THE PUBLICITY RELEASE FORM. These Official Rules, the Terms & Conditions and the Publicity Release Form supersede any prior understandings or agreements, whether oral or written. The terms of the Terms & Conditions and Publicity Release Form are incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between these Official Rules, the Terms & Conditions and the Publicity Release Form, the Terms & Conditions shall prevail, govern and control in all respects.

Overview & Definitions:

            Scavenger Hunt Contestant TEAM (also referred to as “Contestant”): those individuals who purchased tickets so as to take part in the HUNT THE FORT experience. To be eligible for cash prizes, Contestant must be 18 years of age or older (or age of majority in his/her jurisdiction of residence, whichever is higher), have the power to enter a binding contract with Hamilton Center for Child Advocacy, a 501(c)3 non-profit entity (also referred to as “HCCA,” the entity which is offering the HUNT THE FORT experience), and reside within the United States. Contestant includes both persons participating on an individual basis as well as persons who participate as part of a group or team. For group/team participation, the individual within such group/team who has purchased the game play materials for the HUNT THE FORT experience shall be the      Lead Contestant functioning as the authorized representative for all members of the group/team and as the sole liaison with HCCA as to the group’s/team’s participation in the HUNT THE FORT experience. Lead Contestant assumes full responsibility for informing all Contestants who are members of his/her group/team of any information and materials provided to Lead Contestant by HCCA in conjunction with participation in the HUNT THE FORT experience.

          HUNT THE FORT experience:   a competition where Contestants, utilizing game play materials, move within a designated city to find a number of different points of interest, including but not limited to businesses, statues, murals, buildings.

          Each such point of interest is called a Mission—participation in the HUNT THE FORT experience involves the Contestant completing a series of Missions.  To complete a Mission, the Contestant photographs the corresponding point of interest using the GOOSECHASE mobile application, enters text to answer a question, or clicks a button to provide GPS coordinates of a clue location (For group/team participation, only the Lead Contestant may take and submit photographs for the group/team).  Only photos taken by and submitted through the Goosechase mobile application will be counted. The number of Missions in each HUNT THE FORT experience vary, and Contestants do not need to complete all Missions to win.

          The Duration of the HUNT THE FORT experience is the period between its defined Start Time and End Time of that HUNT THE FORT experience. Contestants will only be allowed to complete Missions during the Duration of a given HUNT THE FORT experience. (Missions completed before or after the Duration will not be counted.) After the end of the Duration, HCCA will review completed Missions for accuracy, confirming that the Missions were properly completed and, if a Mission has been confirmed as being properly completed, it will be deemed “accepted.” Each Mission in a given HUNT THE FORT experience can only be completed and accepted once per Contestant.

           The Winner of the HUNT THE FORT experience will be the Contestant who accumulates the most points by successfully completing Missions within the Duration while adhering to these Official Rules, the Terms & Conditions, and Community Standards. In the event of a tie, the winner will be determined by the order of who returns to the event landing mat “Finish Line” and collects a finisher's flag.  All team members must be present to collect a finisher's flag.  Finisher's flags will will be numbered and given out in the order that the team arrives.   Contestants understand and agree that all information regarding the determination of the Winner of the HUNT THE FORT experience is confidential and proprietary to HCCA, and waive any right or claim to review same.

Restrictions:
The following activities in conjunction with participating in a HUNT THE FORT experience are strictly prohibited. In the event that a Contestant (for group/team participation, any person who is part of such group/team) engages in any of the following actions as determined by HCCA in its sole discretion and being final and binding in all respects, they will lose their eligibility to participate in the HUNT THE FORT experience and, in such case, their payment will NOT be refunded:

• Harassment of Other Participants: In the course of participating in a HUNT THE FORT experience, Contestants may encounter one another. Verbal or physical harassment, threatening, “trash-talking,” vulgarity or other belligerent/obnoxious/anti-social behavior toward other Contestants is strictly prohibited.
• Trespassing: The Missions are located in public areas.  Entering any area after posted hours, vandalizing or altering fences or other structures is strictly prohibited.
• Any Violation of Federal, State, or Local Laws or Ordinances: Any conduct that is illegal within the jurisdiction of the location of HUNT THE FORT experience (whether the law prohibiting the conduct be local, state, or federal and regardless of whether such law is routinely enforced) is strictly prohibited, irrespective of whether investigated by the police or other duly constituted authority or if charges are ultimately filed. Said violations include, but are not limited to, traveling in excess of posted speed limits, reckless driving, impaired driving, and trespassing.
• To assure the integrity of the HUNT THE FORT experience for all Contestants, HCCA will not provide warnings of any kind prior to a Contestant losing his/her eligibility because he/she has engaged in prohibited conduct.

Requirements:
Contestants (for group/team participation, the Lead Contestant) acknowledge they must have access to the following before, during, and after the Duration of the HUNT THE FORT experience in order to compete:

• An Android or iOS smartphone.
• The most recent version of the Goosechase mobile application installed on their phone.
• All appropriate permissions allowed to the Goosechase mobile application, including but not limited to GPS, Camera, and Access to Storage.
• GPS and Camera hardware installed and enabled on their phones.
• A strong and reliable internet connection enabled on the phone they are using for the HUNT THE FORT experience.
• Be present in the city the HUNT THE FORT experience will take place in.
• Be able to freely travel around the city the HUNT THE FORT experience will take place in.

Contestants must also adhere to any other requirements for participation listed in Community Standards, Terms & Conditions, and these Official Rules as well as any other materials furnished byHCCA in conjunction with participation in a HUNT THE FORT experience.

Sharing of Game Play Materials and Mission Locations:
The game play materials for a HUNT THE FORT experience are and remain at all times the sole property of Hamilton Center for Child Advocacy and may not be shared or disseminated in any way with non-Contestants. For group/team participation, the Lead Contestant IS allowed to share game play materials with other Contestants comprising the group/team.

Duration of the HUNT THE FORT experience:
The HUNT THE FORT experience will begin on the start time and date listed on the ticket purchasing page and end at the end time and date listed on the ticket purchasing page. In the event that HCCA must modify the start time and date and/or the end time and date of a given HUNT THE FORT experience, Contestants will be informed via e-mail, with notice of same also being posted on HCCA’s website and social media accounts.

Completing Missions:
Missions must be completed within the Goosechase mobile application. Some Missions might become inaccessible or be removed and no longer possible to complete during the Duration of the HUNT THE FORT experience; for example, if a Mission involves photographing a statue which is closed and unavailable to the public due to renovation work. All such determinations will be made by HCCA in its sole discretion when possible. Contestants will be informed of such determinations via e-mail, with notice of same also being posted on HCCA’s website and social media accounts. While HCCA will endeavor to create Missions which are viable, Contestants acknowledge sometimes it may not be known by HCCAi until after the Hunt that one of its Missions cannot be completed. Contestants must skip this Mission as it will be excluded from the HUNT THE FORT experience and continue on to another. Missions that are impossible to complete during the Duration of the Scavenger Hunt are not valid reasons for commencing an Official Dispute as per Section 11 below.

Use of Methods Other Than the Official Game Play Materials:
The use of methods other than interpreting the official game play materials to complete Missions comprising a HUNT THE FORT experience is strictly prohibited. Contestants may not engage in conduct that HCCA deems to be against the spirit of the HUNT THE FORT experience which includes, but is not limited to, any form of cheating,  dissemination of disinformation to other Contestants, unauthorized access of information through hacking or other means; tracking or stalking of HCCA team members; group/team participation using any accounts other than that of the Lead Contestant; using one account across multiple devices; and using one device to complete Missions for multiple accounts. A GIVEN CONTESTANT MAY ONLY PARTICIPATE VIA ONE GOOSECHASE ACCOUNT ON A SINGLE DEVICE; A GIVEN CONTESTANT MAY EITHER PARTICIPATE AS PART OF A GROUP/TEAM OR INDIVIDUALLY BUT NOT VIA BOTH METHODS.

Verification of the Official Winner and Payment:
The Winner will need to verify basic information from their order to verify that they were an eligible Contestant. As part of the verification procedure, HCCA may require a Contestant (for group/team participation, the Lead Contestant and perhaps other Contestants as well) to complete, sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release and/or provide valid government-issued photo identification. Once the Winner has fully complied with the preceding requirements (as determined by HCCA in its sole discretion), he/she will become an Official Winner.  
Payment of the grand prize (i.e., “Prize Money”) will be made to the Official Winner by check within thirty (30) days of determination of Official Winner status, provided that no open Official Disputes exist. For clarity, if Official Winner is a group/team, the Prize Money will be paid solely to the Lead Contestant; LEAD CONTESTANT ASSUMES ANY AND ALL LIABILITY FOR DISTRIBUTION OF PRIZE MONEY AMONG CONTESTANTS COMPRISING THE GROUP/TEAM. IN NO EVENT WILL HCCA PAY OUT PRIZE MONEY TO MORE THAN ONE (1) PERSON IN CONJUNCTION WITH A GIVEN CONTESTANT’S PARTICIPATION IN A HUNT THE FORT EXPERIENCE. THE ONLY RECOURSE FOR A CONTESTANT WHO IS A MEMBER OF GROUP/TEAM THAT QUALIFIED TO RECEIVE A GRAND PRIZE IN A HUNT THE FORT EXPERIENCE IS AGAINST THE CORRESPONDING LEAD CONTESTANT. WITHOUT LIMITATION, CLAIMS RELATED TO NOT RECEIVING PRIZE MONEY FROM LEAD CONTESTANT ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE SUBJECT MATTER FOR AN OFFICIAL DISPUTE.
If an Official Dispute is made and an inquiry opened, the payment will be made to the Official Winner within thirty (30) days of the outcome of the inquiry, provided that the inquiry determines that such Contestant is, in fact, the Official Winner. (If the inquiry determines that the Official Winner was ineligible or violated any part of these Official Rules, HCCA will not have any liability to such Contestant under any legal theory, and a new Winner will be determined as set forth herein; see also Section 11 below). The Official Winner will be required to have access to a bank account within the United States in order to receive Prize Money. Prize Money will only be provided to the Official Winner via check.  

Announcement of the Official Winner:
Once an Official Winner has been verified by HCCA, an announcement of the Official Winner (i.e., his/her/their user name; if group/team, the user name of the Lead Contestant) will be made to all Contestants in person, via the Goosechase app and through social media. 

Official Disputes:
If a Contestant other than the Official Winner believes that they are the rightful Winner, or believes that the Official Winner was ineligible or violated these Official Rules and/or the Terms & Conditions, a dispute may be entered by emailing director@hamiltoncca.org with the subject line “Official Dispute” within twenty-four (24) hours of the time at which the name of the Official Winner is announced.  Any Official Dispute not made within the form and timeline set forth herein shall be disregarded regardless of its merits.

• The body of the email must include all known details surrounding the dispute, and must include the name and phone number of the individual initiating the dispute. (The identity of the initiator of the dispute will be kept anonymous, unless the dispute leads to them being determined as the Official Winner. If the initiator of the dispute is deemed the Official Winner, their username will be announced as part of the HUNT THE FORT experience.)
• HCCA will acknowledge receipt of the Official Dispute within twenty-four (24) hours. If receipt is not acknowledged within twenty-four (24) hours, the sender of the Official Dispute should resend the email.
• When an Official Dispute is received, HCCA will make an initial, preliminary determination of the credibility and potential validity of the dispute. If the dispute is deemed credible and potentially valid, an inquiry will be opened. The opening of an inquiry does not necessarily mean that HCCA suspects any wrongdoing, but rather that HCCA believes the matter is worth investigating. If the dispute is not deemed credible and valid, an inquiry will not be opened and the Official Dispute will be dismissed and cannot be the subject of a future Official Dispute.
• An inquiry may last an indefinite amount of time and consist of various methods as determined in HCCA’s sole discretion. The Official Winner may be required to submit a statement or participate in a recorded interview, or otherwise cooperate by providing information and/or materials upon HCCA’s request for the inquiry in order to maintain eligibility (if applicable) and for the Official Dispute to remain open. (If an inquiry involves group/team participation, the preceding requirements apply to each and every Contestant comprising the group/team.)  If the Official Winner refuses any such request within ten (10) days of the request they may lose eligibility and the Official Dispute will be dismissed and cannot be the subject of a future Official Dispute. If a Contestant loses eligibility, any claim to status as an Official Winner and the attendant grand prize/Prize Money will be forfeited without any liability to HCCA under any legal theory and a new Official Winner may be named.
• HCCA will make a decision in the inquiry and notify all relevant parties. The decision of HCCA regarding a given Official Dispute is final, binding and not subject to appeal. If the final decision results in a new Official Winner being determined, or a contingency being enacted to determine a new Official Winner, all Contestants will be notified.

Cancellation of the HUNT THE FORT experience:
HCCA may cancel the HUNT THE FORT experience for any reason beyond its control; a force majeure event (e.g., a natural disaster, pandemic/epidemic, civil commotion, riot, strike, act of fraud). In the event of the HUNT THE FORT experience being cancelled (“cancelled” defined here as the HUNT THE FORT experience ending without an Official Winner being determined and announced by HCCA), all Contestants will receive a full refund (for group/team participation, only the Lead Contestant). HCCA is not responsible for any expenses incurred by Contestants other than the cost of game tickets purchased through the HCCA website or the GiveSignUp mobile application.

Decisions by HCCA:
All decisions by HCCA are final and binding in all respects and not subject to appeal, including but not limited to those decisions specifically made subject to Official Dispute as per Section 11 above.

Revision of Rules and Addition of Rules:
HCCA reserves the right to revise these Official Rules or add additional rules at any time prior to launch of a given HUNT THE FORT experience, in the event of unforeseen behavior or circumstances