It's good, clean family fun. It's problem solving. It's a local expedition.

It's one of the most creative fundraisers you'll ever run across.

Adam Zurn calls it Raiders of the Golden Osprey Adventure. It's his vision, his brainchild.

"It's a little bit like 'National Treasure' meets Lancaster and Lebanon counties," said Zurn. "I'm a child of the '80s and I grew up on films. I thought it would be cool to go on an adventure. As I got older, I realized I couldn't go on adventures anymore. But I get just as much enjoyment from people going on my adventure, from playing my game."

In association with the local history organization Uncharted Lancaster, Raiders of the Golden Osprey Adventure is a real-life treasure hunt.

After each group purchases a treasure diary, registered teams of three to six players decipher five weekly challenges and riddles that provide clues for unlocking segments of the treasure's GPS coordinates. It's a contest that challenges participants' knowledge of local history, their physical abilities to navigate different terrain and their problem-solving skills.

Each week the clues will be hidden in different parts of Lancaster and Lebanon counties. Prizes will be awarded to the top four teams.

"It's the only one I know of in Lancaster County," said Zurn. "I've seen little afternoon treasure hunts here and there. But no one is doing a cash prize of this size. All expenses are being paid by generous sponsors, and all sales of the treasure diaries go to nonprofits."

The initial treasure clues for Raiders of the Golden Osprey Adventure will be released on Saturday, April 6, and teams are required to register before then. The clues will be released on each subsequent Saturday leading up to a climactic final race to the treasure on Saturday, May 4.

"It's a great opportunity for everyone playing to give back to nonprofits," said Zurn, a resident of Colemanville. "It makes me feel good. It gives the family something to do. They just have a lot of fun doing it. For a little money, it's five weeks of good times. It's a great chance to do something together and make a good memory. I think everyone walks away a winner."

Zurn is hoping that 300 teams will accept the challenge presented by Raiders of the Golden Osprey Adventure, a total that would raise almost $6,000 for the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County and LancasterHistory.

"The team that won last year was a three-generation family," said Zurn. "Others are just friends, sometimes they're groups from work, some are families. It's a smattering of people. We've even had some people from out of state playing. Typically, the teams that do the best are made up of three to six people who are good at brainstorming and spitballing ideas."

Raiders of the Golden Osprey Adventure marks Zurn's fourth treasure hunt. It was preceded by last year's Jewel of the Susquehanna and Find My Easter Egg in 2022.

"Each year has a theme," said Zurn. "I like to highlight fascinating local history. It started during COVID when there was nothing to do, and it kind of just keeps growing, becoming a little better, a little more complex."

To register for Raiders of the Golden Osprey Adventure or to purchase a treasure diary, go to http://www.hptrust.org/product/2024-uncharted-lancaster-treasure-hunt-ticket.