Residents ready for goose
By TARA MAGUIRE Sentinel reporter tmaguire@lewistownsentinel.comArticle Photos
Fact Box
IF YOU GO
* What: Goose Day Road Rally
* When: Registration from 9 to 11 a.m. Sept. 28
* Where: Overlook at the top of Jack's Mountain
* For more information: Call Chris Rager at 667-3780
LEWISTOWN - The race is on. The 2008 Mifflin County Goose Day Road Rally will kick off this Sunday atop Jack's Mountain, between Belleville and McVeytown on state Route 305. Registration for the event will be held from 9 to 11 a.m.
"It's at a strange starting point this year," last year's winner, Chris Rager, said with a laugh.
Rager, who has won the Road Rally at least three times prior, is excited to host this year's annual Mifflin County Goose Day Road Rally.
"Every year we (our team) view it as 'We're in it to win it!'" Rager said.
Rager said she has participated in the Mifflin County Goose Day Road Rally since she was in high school.
"When I was in high school, there were at least 100 cars. It seems to have really dwindled down in the past 10 years, but now it seems like it is picking up again," Rager said.
The road rally is unlike any other event that Mifflin County has to offer, Rager said. For those unfamiliar with the road rally, participants essentially go on an all-day competition and compete among other road rally competitors who are looking for clues.
"The goal is to answer the questions given to you in order - you can't skip any or else it will mess you up in the end," Rager said.
The road rally usually takes participants all day to finish, she added.
"The last couple of years, the cutoff time was 5 p.m., but this year we are thinking about shortening it to 4 p.m.," Rager said.
According to Rager, the last few years have been pretty hectic between those participating and those inactively involved.
"People along the route are constantly complaining and raising their fists at participants who trespass on their property looking for clues," she said.
The rules clearly indicate that you cannot go onto private property, and this year, 99.9 percent of all the questions given to those participating can be seen from a car, Rager said.
Rager said the road rally still is a lot of fun despite all the driving and work.
"You are in the car with these people all day long - it seems like one big party and by the end of the day you are like, 'Let's get out of here!'," Rager said.
For those who have never actively participated in the Mifflin County Goose Day Road Rally, Rager offers some advice.
"It's not about the knowledge of Mifflin County, it's about teamwork and general commonsense. A lot of people who have done it before think it's all about knowing the area, but very few questions tie into knowing the area," she said.
Prizes will be awarded for the top three teams and a Wayward Goose award will be given to the team that drives the most miles, Rager said.
The cost for this year's Mifflin County Goose Day Road Rally is $4 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under.
For more information, call Chris Rager at 667-3780.
The 2008 Mifflin County Goose Day will be held on Sept. 29 throughout the county.
