Where's Waldo? He's in Sewickley, of Course

This year Where's Waldo turned 25, and in conjunction with his birthday, and Village Green Partners have coordinated a month-long scavenger hunt to find Waldo in 19 participating businesses in July. 

The hunt, which runs for the month of July in some 250 cities, is designed to celebrate and bolster independent bookstores and other locally owned businesses.

How do you play? It’s easy. Kids who register at Penguin Bookshop will receive a Where's Waldo? button. Each business also has a window cling displayed in their front windows, and a 6-inch tall Waldo figuerine to display and hide anywhere they please. 

Waldo moves around daily, making the hunt a little more interesting every day.

Participants must collect an "I Found Waldo at ____" card for each Waldo they spot. When a kid finds Waldo in any business, a staff member will give them a card, which they then bring to Penguin Bookshop. 

Anyone can jump in on the fun at any time. The scavenger hunt runs through July 31, so it's not too late to join.

On Monday, names were drawn for half-way point prizes for those who have found 10 or more Waldos. Names for grand prizes will be drawn and awarded on July 31 for those who have found all 19 Waldos.

The grand prize is a complete six-volume set of Where's Waldo books and other prizes, which will be provided by the participating neighborhood businesses. 

It isn't easy to find the little bespectacled guy in the red-and-white rugby shirt who first saw print in 1987 in a book series by British illustrator Martin Handford called -- you guessed it -- "Where's Wally?" 

Thirteen teams have found all 19 Waldos, and more than 50 teams have signed up. 

So far, according to Village Green Partners, excellent feedback has been received from customers and participating stores.

Tess Riesmeyer, an employee at the Penguin Bookshop said a grandmother came in the store to report she went to all the shops with her grandson and she told Riesmeyer, "I think I bought something in at least seven of the shops. I didn't buy anything at the comic store, but I noted what my grandson liked and plan to return for holiday shopping."

Village Green Partners hopes to continue with free promotions such as Where's Waldo in the near future. The following participating businesses were chosen because they related to kids in some way:

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