Where

Kick-Off & Awards Ceremony (Indoors)

InterContinental Hotel- Grand Ballroom (7th Floor)

505 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL, 60611

Cheer Challenge (Outdoors)

Downtown Chicago/Riverwalk

Event Schedule

1:45 pm -- Doors Open (Intercontinental Hotel, Grand Ballroom

2:00 pm -- Check-in & Program (Don’t be late!)

3:00-4:30 pm -- Cheer Challenge

4:30 pm -- Awards Celebration

5:00 pm -- Event Concludes

 

Get into the Giving Spirit!

Get ready for a scavenger hunt like no other as we race around performing simple tasks to make others smile. The Holiday Cheer Challenge will raise spirits and vital funds to fuel Honeycomb's year-round volunteer programs for Chicago families. Thank you for participating!

Teams of families, adults, neighbors and corporate groups…ALL are welcome!

Challenge Format

Prior to the event, teams can earn extra by starting a fundraiser for Honeycomb, participating in a supply drive, or attending a volunteer project.

On Sunday, December 8th at 2 pm, participants will convene in downtown Chicago for the main event. Guests will sip warm holiday drinks and enjoy tasty treats indoors at the InterContinental Hotel (Grand Ballroom-7th Floor). After a short speaking programs,, teams of 4–6 will descend downtown to complete the most tasks that make others smile: caroling at the River Walk, giving out thank you notes to city workers and so much more!

Friends and family can follow the fun on social media – or tune in to our live stream from the field. Finally, we’ll regroup indoors at the Ballroom for the award ceremony, desserts and a spirited send-off!

Get Ready Now!

  1. Download the free Goosechase mobile app from the App Store/Play Store. Please reference this guide if you need additional help. All adult participants (in-person and remote) should download the app.

  2. Create an account. Enable location services, then enter Honeycomb’s unique GAME CODE: TBD.

  3. Honeycomb’s staff will create a team for you with your Last Name or Company Name. Click “Select Team & Join Game” and find your team name from the pre-existing list. You may change your team name if you like! Enable notifications and away you go!

  4. Sign your waiver: All participating adults (18+) must sign this waiver prior to participating in the event.

  5. Plan ahead! Preview missions on Goosechase starting December 15th at 3:00 pm and work with your team to create a game day strategy.

  6. Bundle up, pack some snacks, hats and water, and take to the streets with kindness on December 8th!

 

T

FAQs

The Holiday Cheer Challenge is a super-fun, self-guided adventure race downtown where teams complete missions to spread cheer and raise funds for Honeycomb! All ages welcome to join and ALL invited to follow the action on our LIVE ACTIVITY FEED!

How does it work?

Plan to arrive promptly at 2 pm on Sunday, December 8th. The kick-off and closing ceremony will be held indoors at the InterContinental Hotel in the Grand Ballroom (7th Floor). The Challenge is 1.5 hours long from 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm CST. Event ends at 5:00 pm.

Teams of 4-6 will earn points by completing missions and submitting photos, videos or text responses via Goosechase to document their adventures. If you purchased individual tickets, count on us to pair you up with superstar teammates.

Plan ahead! There will be 50 challenges to choose from but you will not have time to complete them all. We will release a few extra credit challenges before December 8th so download Goosechase now to get in on the fun!

Challenge Categories

  • 100 Points - Easy Warm-Up

  • 200 Points - Team Spirit

  • 300 Points - Make Friends with the Enemy

  • 400 Points - Community Connect

  • 500 Points - Spread Kindness & Cheer

Does everyone need Goosechase?

All adult participants should download the app. Honeycomb’s staff has already created teams in the app for all registered participants. Simply find yours and join! Multiple players and mobile devices can join the same team. Once a participant from a team completes a mission, that mission shows as completed for the entire team. Points will be tallied for the team as a whole, and displayed with the team name and team photo on the Leaderboard.

What should I bring?

We’ll provide you with a toolkit at check-in with supplies you might need to complete your challenges. Inside the Ballroom, we will be activity stations to make notecards, flower bouquets, etc. - so be sure to arrive on or before 2 pm so you can take full advantage of these perks! Bring snacks and water. Most importantly, dress warmly — we want to make sure that you are cozy throughout the event.

Will food be served?

Yes! Hearty snacks, appetizers, toasty cocktails, hot chocolate and non-alcoholic drinks will be served indoors in the Grand Ballroom and desserts after the challenge. You may want to make dinner plans nearby around 6:00 pm after the event concludes. Plenty of lovely spots are around!

See the action... LIVE!

All teams can use the live activity feed on Goosechase to scope out the competition. You can pull inspiration from what others are doing, or give big thumbs up to the submissions! A real-time leaderboard means that at any given moment, you know exactly how you’re doing and what needs to be done to win. We will broadcast live on Instagram, so encourage your friends and family to follow along on social media!

Awards & Accolades

The game will conclude at 4:30 pm. The winning team must have 6 or less participants and will be selected based on a criteria of points accumulated during the game as well as the quality of your missions. Quality > Quantity. If you do your best to spread cheer and kindness, then everyone is a winner! The final awards celebration will take place indoors in the Grand Ballroom at the InterContinental Hotel.

Other Notes

If you’re participating downtown, don’t get too ambitious! You only have 1.5 hours to complete the challenges. We recommend staying within a few blocks of Millennium Park (south of the Chicago River, east of State Street, North of Jackson). Plan to be back at the Grand Ballroom promptly at 4:30. Event ends at 5 pm.

All video submissions should be short — no longer than 15 seconds! Obscene, provocative, or otherwise questionable content will not be considered. The Honeycomb Project retains sole discretion as to what constitutes inappropriate content. 

Wear comfortable shoes and bundle up! This is an outdoor adventure. If you get cold, there are plenty of challenges you can do indoors in nearby stores, coffee shops, etc. If you need to warm up, you may head back early to the Grand Ballroom at the InterContinental Hotel.

Hotel InterContinental

We look forward to seeing you at the historic Grand Ballroom at Hotel InterContinental.. When you arrive at the hotel,, proceed through the lobby and take the elevators to the 7th floor for check-in and kick-off. Complimentary coat check is available.

Accessibility & Amenities

The InterContinental Hotel and Millennium Park have been designed to be accessible to all patrons for full inclusion. To view accessibility for Millenium Park and the surrounding area, visit the City of Chicago website here. If you have an accommodation request or have questions about accessibility please email Honeycomb’s Development Coordinator, Madeline Schink

Map & Parking

The event will kick-off at the InterContinental Hotel - Grand Ballroom (7th Floor) 505 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611 It can take a few minutes to get to the destination inside the building, so give yourself enough time to arrive promptly at 2:00 pm!

Getting There

If possible, we recommend using a rideshare or public transportation. If you are driving, nearby discounted parking is available on Spothero. There is meter street parking available on nearby streets east of Michigan Avenue. Valet parking is currently available at an overnight rate of $78. For hourly pricing, please call 312-944-4100.

Public Transit: The hotel is accessible via CTA and Metra.

  • Grand (Red Line)

  • Merchandise Mart (Brown/Purple Line)

  • State/Lake (Brown/Green/Orange/Pink/Purple Line)

  • Union Station (Metra) 33 minute walk or 157 bus route

 

Love Honeycomb? 

Show your support with limited-edition Honeycomb Cheer Challenge merch for your whole family! Not only will you look extra cute this winter, your donations will help support all things Honeycomb, including our robust schedule of volunteer programs. All t-shirts are available in our online shop only.

honeycomb programs

Pledge Your Support

As our city continues to recover from the hardships of Covid, local organizations are looking to Honeycomb to provide vital resources, dedicated volunteers, and staff support to help them get back on track. Your donation (at any level) helps sustain and expand our programs to engage thousands of youth and families in meaningful service all year round. Every donation means so much!

Every $35 you raise or donate mobilizes one new volunteer — $100 mobilizes a whole family.