The hunt for money is on in Erie thanks to a local pet grooming business.
Mark and Rachel Buczynski, owners of Vroom Vroom Grooming, a mobile pet grooming business in Erie, wanted to find a creative and fun way to give back to the community.
After seeing other videos of money and prize drops across social media, they decided it was time to bring the game to Erie and created Erie PA Money Drop on Facebook.
“We wanted to give back,” Mark Buczynski said. “We saw how good it did with the treasure hunts (across Facebook nationally). We’ve seen this done out of town and how it takes off. We wanted to give back and this is one way to do so.”
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How many money drops have been in Erie?
So far, the Buczynskis have done three giveaways. The prizes included a free pet nail trim, an Easter basket filled with Romolo products and the third was a small cash amount.
Groomers Mark and Rachel Buczynski created an Erie Money Drop page on Facebook as a way to give back to the Erie community.
“The first giveaway was in a tube,” Rachel Buczynski said. “The second one was in a little container that looked like a piece of candy and the third one was our Easter drop which had $300 worth of Romolo chocolate in a big basket with little trinkets and $50 cash.”
The couple have a fourth drop on May 2 where they plan to give away $100 in cash.
The locations of the drops remain a mystery until the clues are posted. As of May, the drops have been in Frontier Park, along the bayfront and at the water tower at Millcreek Mall.
Partnering with local businesses
One goal that the Buczynskis was to not only give money and prizes to the Erie community but give business to local businesses.
In the May 2 giveaway, the couple paired with Ace’s Pet Waste for the $100 cash prize.
“Ryan from Ace’s Pet Waste is our first partner and his excitement is contagious,” Rachel Buczynski said. “He has been elated.”
“We’re actually going to have him come to the drop as well,” Mark Buczynski said. “But we won’t tell him ahead of time so that he won’t let anyone in on the outside. We want it to be fair where everyone has an equal chance.”
A fair hunt for all
The couple said having these hunts be accessible and fair for participants is important to them.
The money drop has received some negative feedback and criticism, with some claiming the money drop is rigged.
“We’ve been careful with the security on that. No one has any idea where we are setting this up,” Mark Buczynski said. But supporters have our back. We have no connections to who the winners are. The only real negative dealt with is that the Easter one went so fast. We spoke up about it because the dude was sitting there waiting. I don’t know how he figured it out so fast, but he was waiting on it.”
“A couple of people complain that it’s only a small amount and we combat that with ‘so what,'” Rachel Buczynski said.
The couple says to date, they have supplied all the prizes.
“It’s coming out of our own pocket,” Mark Buczynski said. “We’re not rich, we’re driving a 15-year-old vehicle. It’s just a fun way for us to explore the city and give back.”
Join the hunt at Erie PA Money Drop on Facebook
To participate in upcoming money drops in Erie, follow Erie PA Money Drop on Facebook. The couple will post upcoming hunt dates, clues on the day of the hunt and winners. The page has more than 6,600 followers through April 30.
“Our page (motto) is, ‘be nice or be banned,'” Rachel Buczynski said. “There’s no room for being nasty to each other. We don’t want that nor do our people. It’s just a fun adventure.”
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The Buczynskis said they plan to increase the difficulty of the hunts.
Nicholas Sorensen can be contacted at Nsorensen@usatodayco.com.
(This story was updated to change a video.)
This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: What inspired local groomers to create money drop adventures