PAIR CELEBRATING BICENTENNIAL WITH HIDDEN TREASURE

A couple in Maine have hidden $20,000 somewhere in the state and they’re inviting treasure seekers to come and get it.

The creators of the treasure hunt and the company behind the hunt, Dirigo Treasures LLC, are Kurt and Kelly Stokes of Newcastle, the Lincoln County News reports.

The couple spent three years exploring and photographing locations around the state before creating an elaborate hide-and-seek game.

“We created the game to celebrate Maine’s 200 years of statehood,” Kurt Stokes told the newspaper. “What better way to celebrate Maine than to get people out of the house, out of their town and exploring parts of the state they never knew existed?”

Finding the Dirigo treasure will involve solving a secret, a riddle and a puzzle. Getting started means ponying up for a deck of cards or flash cards for $19.99 or $39.99, with a dollar from each sale going to the Maine Cancer Foundation.

The couple ensured that the quest for the hidden treasure is legal, ethical and environmentally responsible.

“We abided by the principles of leaving no trace,” Kurt Stokes said.