SEYMOUR – Before students head back to class this fall, they can have some fun filling their backpacks with school supplies during a townwide scavenger hunt set for August 16.
The Love Mom XOXO Foundation is again teaming up with the town to host the third annual “Build A Backpack” scavenger hunt. The event will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. August 16, followed by an outdoor family movie at Chatfield Park. The starting point is at the Seymour Community Center, located at 20 Pine St.
The event is free and open to all. Adult teams can also join. Pre-registration is requested in order to ensure there are enough school supplies for all participants and can be done online by clicking this link. You can also register by scanning the QR code in the flyer at the end of this article.
Teams are limited to a maximum of 10 players. Each team will be given riddles to solve, trivia questions to answer and other fun tasks to complete as follow clues around town by car and by foot. Teams will be awarded points for tasks completed. Prizes and trophies, including three $95 gift certificates courtesy of eyewear retailer Warby Parker, will be awarded to the top three teams.
New to this year’s scavenger hunt will be the integration of the Play Tours App. The cellphone app will have a built-in leaderboard so teams can see where the other teams are at. Paper lists of the items will also be available.
Last year’s event drew more than 35 teams, with nearly 100 participants searching the town for goodies, according to Love Mom XOXO Founder and Seymour resident Lori Nespoli. Nespoli established the family bereavement nonprofit in 2022 in honor of her late sister Lynn, who loved games.
Nespoli said a new town group called Kids4Kids, made up of high school students – Michael Benedetto, Ryan Benedetto, Anthony Garofalo and Gianna Garofalo – have been collecting new school supplies for the event. They have set up drop-off bins at Seymour Town Hall (1 First St.) and Bushi Ban (16 Klarides Village Dr).
Anyone is welcome to drop off supplies, from Post-it notes and pocket folders to single subject notebooks, crayons, pens, pencils, highlighters, backpacks and more.
Nespoli said Bushi Ban and M & T Bank are again sponsoring this year’s scavenger hunt.
Nespoli encouraged families, scout groups, local sports teams and others to join the fun.
“It is so fun for the families and participants,” Nespoli said. “Even the volunteers have a great time at the riddle locations handing out the supplies. We try to incorporate kind acts and gestures and involve the whole community that day. I love seeing how competitive the families and teams are, and it makes me happy to be able to give them free school supplies.”
Seymour First Selectwoman Annmarie Drugonis said the event helps showcase Seymour’s small town pride.
“This is a fantastic community event that brings families together while learning about our town and connecting with other families,” Drugonis said. “The event also shines a spotlight on our dedicated volunteers, showing families the heart of Seymour’s community. It’s a fun, meaningful way for kids to gather school supplies while building pride in our town.”
For more information, contact Nespoli via email at lori@lovemomxoxo.org or by phone/text at 203-641-5818.
