HUNTING FOR THE PERFECT RING: Dashing for Diamonds

Couples to compete for dream ring in Hot Springs

By WAYNE BRYAN Staff Writer

Photo by Rusty Hubbard

Mark Fleischnerof Lauray's holds the $12,000 dimond ring that will be hidden somewhere in Hot Springs for doens of engaged couples to find in a scavenger hunt.

ADVERSTISMENT

TRI-LAKES AREA — The city famous as the nation’s first playground resort will soon transform into a giant game board as couples search downtown for a bright symbol of their love.

It is not the latest video game but the first Diamond Dash in Hot Springs on Saturday. As many as 250 loving couples will search through the streets of Hot Springs for a two-carat diamond ring valued at $12,000.

The ring is from Lauray’s the Diamond Center, which is partnering with the Hot Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau in an effort to promote the city as a wedding and honeymoon destination.

“Everything a couple could want for a wonderful wedding is right here in Hot Springs,” said Steve Arrison, CEO of the convention bureau. “Garvan Gardens, our downtown attractions, the lakes, restaurants, hotels and other attractions provide great locations for any type of wedding, big or small.”

Arrison said the event should be an effective way for the Spa City to inform people about the possibilities of having their weddings and other events in Hot Springs, a city with a long tradition as a fun place for social occasions.

“We’re just thrilled,” said Mark Fleischner, owner of Lauray’s, who suggested the idea of the Dash to the visitor’s bureau. “Downtown Hot Springs is so romantic and lovely that It is a natural for this kind of an event.”

He said competitions similar to the Diamond Dash have been held in other cities like San Francisco and Philadelphia to great success.

To enter the chase for the treasured ring, couples have written their love stories and submitted them online to Lauray’s. Fleischner said the entire staff of the jeweler’s has looked forward to reading the stories coming in from couples.

“This is a reward for the people who have been kind enough to share their love story with us,” Fleischner said. “It’s stories like the ones we are receiving that make this whole event worthwhile.”

The ring features a 1.5-carat round diamond cut and polished with 80 facets to enhance its sparkle, matched with a half carat of smaller stores.

While a couple submit their love stories to enter, the teams can include the bride-to-be and a bridesmaid, the groom and a buddy or any team combination as longas the team is identified with the entry. Fleischner said a husband-and-wife team have already entered the quest for the ring and qualified with their story.

On the morning of the Dash, the teams will assemble in front of the Hot Spring Convention Center at Wheeler Plaza at 11:30. When the competition begins, the teams will run, bicycle or take public transportation (private motor vehicles are not allowed) around Hot Springs to solve the clues and riddles that will be delivered to their mobile phones via text messaging.

Participants must respond correctly to the clues or questions to score points. The game ends when one of the lucky couples finds the secret location of the diamond ring or until 5 p.m., whichever comes first. Fleischner said the racing crowd will certainly affect the downtown area during the event, and organizers are working with law enforcement to minimize the impact on businesses and traffic.

The grand prize will be awarded to the Dash couple who scores the most points throughout the entirety of the event. A pair of diamond ear studs will be given as a second prize, and third prize will be a gift certificate at Lauray’s.

A spokesperson for the Diamond Dash said 212 couples are already qualified for the event. Registration remains open until Thursday. To submit a love story as an entry for consideration or for more information, visit www.lauraysdiamonddash.com.

- wbryan@arkansasonline.com

Tri-Lakes, Pages 137 on 11/08/2009