Greene County United Way is hosting their first Mystery Road Rally in partnership with Greene County Tourism. 

“We’re all looking for ways to do something fun and get people out of their homes and feeling connected,” said MaChal Forbes, executive director of Greene County United Way. 

The three to four-hour drive, complete with destination clues, road-blocks and a scenic drive through Greene County will take place throughout the day Oct. 24. Those looking to participate should visit Greene County United Way’s website where they can register their carload of family or friends for $50. 

Proceeds from the event will be used to fund impact grants and the 17 local human service agencies supported by the United Way. 

“We continue to roll the money back into the community,” Forbes said. 

Participating along the trail of pit stops will be several of the organizations that the United Way benefits. They will be hosting road-blocks, or sets of challenges, that each team will have to complete before moving on to the next destination. 

“We think it’s a great idea to bring awareness to the United Way and ourselves,” said Kathy Douglas, public relations coordinator at the Eva K. Bowlby Library in Waynesburg. “We are happy to do something to participate and give back.” 

The Eva K. Bowlby library will be one of the several organizations represented in the rally along with the Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services Center, Domestic Violence Services and Finnigan Library. 

The route will begin at the United Way on 748 E High Street in Waynesburg where vehicles check in and receive goodie bags of snacks for the road and a set of directions to navigate through the county and each of the road-block locations. At each road-block, participants will be asked to complete an activity or challenge. Alternative challenges and accommodations for those unable to leave the vehicle will be available as well.

“The goal of the event is to introduce participants to parts of Greene County that they might not have visited before,” JoAnne Marshall, director of Greene County Tourism, said. “When we think of traveling, we think of destinations further away. We forget that just minutes away from home, we can find an experience that is often overlooked.”

Greene County Tourism originally presented this idea to the United Way as a creative way to raise funds and engage the community.

“While thinking outside of the box, we came up with the idea of a road rally that could keep numbers low at each destination and during the traveling portions,” Marshall said. 

Greene County Tourism has lent assistance in the preparation and marketing of the event and also plans to assist in the execution. It is a partnership they hope to continue in the future. 

“The benefit to our organization is combining multiple assets of Greene County – the residents, non-profit organizations, tourist attractions and the natural scenic beauty – to help continue growing the awareness of the tourism potential of Greene County,” Marshall said.  

Forbes gave the route a test drive with her husband and son this past week while enjoying peak fall foliage. 

“It’s a great time to drive through the county,” Forbes said. “The leaves are changing and it’s beautiful.”