PEI

Painted prizes have families scouring western P.E.I. beaches

Paulette Arsenault, member relations representative for the Co-op, says finding one can help with the grocery bill or your next trip to the hardware store but it's also a good adventure for families too.

Rocks hidden on beaches from Tignish to West Point and everywhere in between

The idea for the promotion stemmed from the painting talent they have working in the bakery — a person known for painting hundreds of ladybug rocks and scattering them on the beach for people to find. (Pat Martel/CBC)

If you see people combing the beaches and rummaging through every rock pile in western P.E.I., don't be alarmed. 

They're just looking for painted rocks, hidden by the Tignish Co-op. Finding one can help with the grocery bill or your next trip to the hardware store.

Although, Paulette Arsenault, member relations representative for the Co-op, says it's also a good adventure for families too.

"We're hoping just to get families out and about outdoors on the beaches in the local area, doing things together as a family." she said.

The idea for the promotion stemmed from the painting talent they have working in the bakery — a person known for painting hundreds of ladybug rocks and scattering them on the beach for people to find.

"Our baker, Karen Tuplin, she does little rocks shaped like lady bugs and a lot of people around here have been looking for them," she said.

"So we thought we'd do logo rocks and get Karen to paint them."

The rocks are about the size of your palm and have the logos of Home Hardware, Tignish Co-op and Tignish Member Relations painted on them.

There were 11 rocks hidden in total, with about half of them returned already. Prizes range from a $50-100 gift card.

But where are they exactly?

Arsenault will never tell. But, with a laugh, she did drop a vague hint.

"We hid them on various beaches between Tignish all the way to West Point and all the beaches in between. It could be anywhere in West Prince."​

If found, Arsenault said, drop by the Co-op in Tignish to pick up your prize. But be swift, rock hunters only have a couple weeks to find and claim their prize.

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With files from Island Morning