If you come across frantic groups of people in fancy dress chasing after a dragon this fortnight, don’t be alarmed. They’re (probably) participants of the annual Dragon Dash – a charity scavenger hunt which brings teams to locations around town to complete quirky challenges. The $450 registration fee will go to charities like Anakatira, which supports underprivileged children in Cebu City, Philippines and as well as Feeding Hong Kong – a local food bank that redistributes surplus food to those in need.

Dragon Dash was started just last year and brought 120 participants from Middle Bay Beach to the Mid-Levels to complete tasks like taking a team photo at a designated spot or finding the secret ingredient in a cocktail, culminating in a grand final challenge. “Last year the dragon’s head was out on a pontoon in Middle Bay,” says Dragon Dash organiser Victoria Pawsey. “The winning team had to swim out and place the dragon’s head on their own to claim their first prize place.”

Pawsey says they’re expecting over 300 participants this year, competing in teams of four or five dashers. While the clues are under lock-and-key, she can tell us that last year, “some of the teams completed the dash so quickly that the race was shorter than expected. So this year, we’ll definitely have more challenges.” So if you spot a lonely dragon wandering around the city on Saturday April 28, make sure to keep mum – or at least until the first team catches him.

Andrea Yu

Dragon Dash happens on Saturday April 28.Register in advance at: www.dragondash.org