Waldo is back

What’s red and white and mostly invisible to the naked eye?

Trick question. I should have asked ‘Who’ is red and white. The answer, if you’re a fan of children’s brainteaser books, is a dapper fellow improbably named Waldo. He loves his toque and shirt, wearing them everywhere he goes. You can’t miss his unmistakable glasses.

The next question is ‘Where is he?’

The wandering Waldo is back on the loose in our fair burg again as part of a game put on by the St. Albert Public Library and 12 other businesses mostly throughout the Perron District. It’s called the Great Waldo Hunt partly because the hunt itself is great but the gangly striped character is pretty great, too.

“The book character of Waldo has been around for 30 years but it’s clear that he still has currency and can engage today’s young readers,” explained children’s services co-ordinator Barb Moreau, lovingly discussing author/illustrator Martin Handford’s creation.

“I was really pleased to see so many families taking part in the hunt last year; it’s very rewarding when we can create something that can be enjoyed by everyone.”

The first Great Waldo Hunt took place last July, bringing nearly 150 people young and old all out for the fun.

Participants must scour the area in search of the elusive but somehow also obvious individual in various locations – historic, cultural and commercial. The contest is a way of drawing people back to these hotspots.

Finding Waldo earns the player a stamp in her or his passport. Collecting all of the stamps means an entry into a prize draw at the end of the contest. Those who visit the Chamber of Commerce booth at the farmers’ market get an extra entry into one of the grand prize draws.

It all kicks off at 10:30 a.m. on Friday with a one-hour Waldo costume party in the lobby of St. Albert Place.

“We saw some great costumes and I’m sure we’ll see lots more this year. We’ll be choosing winners for the Best Costume award.”

The contest only lasts one week. A wrap up party takes place at 11:30 a.m. on July 10 in the same place as it started.

Passports can be picked up from the library or any of the participating locations. It can also be printed off of the library’s website at www.sapl.ca.

Completed passports can be dropped off at any of the locations as well. The draw for prizes will occur at the end party.