Help Us - and Have a Blast - in the Big Idea Challenge

Enter the Big Idea Challenge - get a cool shirt

The Community Idea Stations is thinking BIG and we're challenging Central Virginians to do likewise.  We are launching the Big Idea Challenge, a first-ever fundraising event of its type. that pits teams from around the region against each other in an Olympics of the Mind - a series of puzzles, riddles and mysteries that will test the brain power of the community’s most curious minds.

The five-week competition –which launches on April 29 – culminates with a grand finale on June 2nd in downtown Richmond, involving the highest-scoring teams, vying for the right to be called Richmond's "Biggest Brains."

A different kind of fundraiser. This is not another pledge drive. We wanted to design an event that would be fun for our fans while creating a new source of revenue for us.The Big Idea Challenge is part brain teaser and part fundraiser.  Each team will work to solve a series of weekly challenges – puzzles, riddles and brain teasers – that align with our five impact areas: arts and culture, history, science, children’s education, and news and public affairs.

What you'll see as a participant:

• Five weekly puzzles to challenge you (starting April 29th)
• For teams that qualify, a Final Challenge in downtown Richmond (June 2nd)
• Opportunities to challenge other teams, share tips and hints with friends - and outplay, outwit and outsmart your competitors
• Clues scattered throughout the community – in stores and restaurants and even online on sponsors’ websites
• Tips, coaching and other encouragement of your fundraising (and puzzle solving) efforts

Going beyond membership drives to diversify our funding sources. Given the uncertainty of government funding, we wanted to challenge ourselves to reach beyond traditional membership drives for a new source of revenue. We wanted to engage our community in a unique, fun event that will raise as much as $250,000 for the station.  As far as we know, we are the only public broadcasting station in the country to break the mold, and there are a number of stations around the country watching attentively to see how successful we will be.

The challenges are being developed by Ravenchase Adventures, a Richmond-based puzzle-adventure company that creates and stages puzzle-solving games and Amazing Race-type adventures for clients throughout the world. 

Event chair, Josh Dare, a principal with the Hodges Partnership, believes this will become a signature event for the Community Idea Stations. Josh notes “Richmond has so many unique events, and I believe that The Big Idea Challenge will be one of those that we’ll want to make sure is on our calendars year in and year out. I think the combination of supporting an important cause and having a blast doing it will make this event a perennial success.”

For more information about the Big Idea Challenge, visit bigideachallenge.org.