Guided by tweets and freshly made maps, Western Carolina University students will race against the clock, and each other, in a Twitter-based scavenger hunt Thursday, Nov. 18, as part of Destination: Dillsboro!, an appreciation event hosted by town merchants.

The scavenger hunt is called the Dillsboro Cat-Dash, and it’s a way for students to find out what the town has to offer them while having fun and winning prizes.

Students will be led through participating Dillsboro shops to find the answers to clues as they are sent via the social networking site Twitter. They will then have to respond to the Twitter administrator with the correct clue to receive points during the competition. The teams that finish in the shortest amount of time and with the most correct tweets will receive prizes from Dillsboro merchants.

Winners will receive one of the following prizes: a 25-person Tuckaseigee River tubing trip from Dillsboro River Company; ice cream for 12 at Bradley’s General Store; gift certificates for the Jarrett House, Kostas and the Well House; a Japanese lantern from the Golden Carp; and an opportunity to make a glass Christmas ornament at the Green Energy Park.

In order to participate, students will have to come equipped with a smart phone featuring a Twitter application. Students must represent a WCU student organization. Teams will be given newly printed maps to help navigate the shops during the race.

The Dillsboro Cat-Dash will begin at 5:30 p.m. at the West Carolina Internet Café on Haywood Road.

For more information and to register for the Twitter scavenger hunt, contact Ashley Funderburk at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..