Race to Middle-Earth: We Have A Winner!

8 months. 5 countries. 3 continents. 44,664 km. After an epic journey from New Brunswick to Middle-earth, and then back again to the Northern Waste, the Race to Middle-earth has a winner: Orange Code!

As most of you are aware, back in January 2013 I held an event in Riverview before I moved from New Brunswick to New Zealand. At that event, I collected trackables from cachers in a race to Middle-earth — and back again. Once I had settled into my new home in Wellington, I held an event there and randomly distributed the trackables to local Kiwi cachers. And over the last 5.5 months, those trackables have been racing back to their owners in New Brunswick.

When I last posted an update about this race about a month ago, NBGamer22’s trackable was the closest to home. Since then, there has been some incredible movement in the TBs, including scouterscott’s which visited the world’s last remaining Project APE cache in Brazil. However, in a spot of good fortune for Orange Code, her TB fell into the hands of an Ontario geocacher whose daughter studies at Mt. Allison. When the daughter travelled back to New Brunswick to start her university studies for the fall, she met up with Orange Code and passed the TB back into her hands.

Orange Code’s TB is named “Fight like Maude” and was sent out in support of her niece, a strong-willed young lady currently winning a battle with lymphatic cancer. Maude has been following the path of her TB across the world. This race had extra meaning for Orange Code and Maude: one of Orange Code’s coworkers stated that if the TB ever made its way back to New Brunswick, he would donate $1,000 to cancer research. Well, the TB is back and he has made good on his promise. So not only has Orange Code won the Race to Middle-earth, but she’s also made a difference to cancer research at the same time.

Good evening! I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity you provided with the race back to New Brunswick. I have the TB “Fight like Maude” in my hand today:) Very excited now I need to ensure Maude sees this. A lot is going on and she is doing well, she had a bone narrow transplant June 11th and she is on the way to win the first race which will be September 19th, 100 days from the day she received the bone narrow. Everything is set for a success there too…. thanks again ! -Helene

In the next few weeks, I expect a few other trackables will make their way back to New Brunswick. Until then, please join me in congratulating Orange Code (and Maude) for winning the Race to Middle-earth.