The Goffstown Challenge- Who Will Be First? By Elizabeth Dubrulle
Goffstown 250th Anniversary Committee News
Who will be the first person in town to complete the Goffstown Challenge and get their free t-shirt? Will it be you?
The Goffstown Challenge is a series of 35 activities designed to help people get to know our town better and get involved in the community. The activities include things like getting popcorn from the Popcorn Stand, attending various 250th events, going to an open house at the Goffstown Historical Society, participating in Family Bike Safety Day, and a whole lot of other things—all of them fun.
There’s lots of things on the list for every interest and every age group, from toddlers to seniors. Most of the activities are free or involve very little cost.
Find out which activities qualify for the Goffstown Challenge and keep track of your progress in your Goffstown Challenge booklet, which is available at several locations around town, including Town Hall, the Public Library, Pizza Market, King Lanes, Sawyers, and Ace Hardware. The booklets and the instructions are also free, of course.
For each activity you complete, you’ll earn a 250th stamp in your booklet. When you’ve collected 20 stamps (kids under 12 need only complete 15 activities), you can take your booklet into Brown Graphix and get your free Goffstown Challenge t-shirt, which is available only to those who finish the Challenge. It is not available for sale.
In addition to the activities listed in the booklet, there will be also be Wild Card Events, which come up over the course of the year and are another opportunity to earn stamps.
The latest Wild Card Event is registering your dog at Town Hall. There are about 3,000 dog owners in Goffstown, and if you register your dog in April or May, you can earn a stamp for it. The Town Clerk’s office is also offering special bell-shaped dog tags this year in honor of the town’s 250th anniversary, so don’t wait!
The first person to complete the Challenge will get his or her picture in the Goffstown News, GoffstownToday.com, and the Goffstown Edge. Will it be you?
The 250th Committee would also like to recognize the Goffstown Lions Club, which organized the Goffstown Business Expo in 2010 and 2011, donating the proceeds to the 250th Fund. The Lions Club is the official sponsor of the Block Party—an all-day festival of music, food, and games—to be held on August 27. Thank you Lions for your community spirit!

Caption: Jim Hallene and MaryAnn McKenna were the main organizers from the Goffstown Lions Club of the Goffstown Business Expo, held in May 2010 and March 2011. On March 31, they presented a check for $8,700--the combined proceeds from the two events—to 250th Chair Elizabeth Dubrulle and Selectman Scott Gross.