Tuscaloosa PARA cancels permits for “Hidden Cash” Scavenger Hunt

The Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority has canceled permits granted to a mobile game developer who was planning on hosting a scavenger hunt for $2,000 cash this Sunday, a PARA spokeswoman said Wednesday evening.

Becky Booker, the Public Relations and Marketing Manager for PARA, said Playtica, the company behind the promotional scavenger hunt, had applied for permits to host events in Kentuck Park in Northport and in Tuscaloosa's Snow Hinton Park.

Booker said the company did not rent those parks out, those, nor did they make PARA aware in advance of their purported plans to hide money on-site.

By the time PARA became aware of the company's intentions, Booker said, there was little time left to close off one or both parks for the scavenger hunt or to coordinate with police to make sure the event went smoothly.

After some deliberation Wednesday, PARA decided to cancel the permits and issued the following statement.

"Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority made the decision today, to cancel a Special Permit Application for a scavenger hunt event scheduled on April 14 in Snow Hinton and Kentuck Park."