A $1,000 Treasure Hunt Hits Miami on August 3

A thousand bucks will soon be hidden in Miami, and someone will need to find it.

No, this isn't some scam stemming from a spam email from "Auntie Bertha" in Somalia requesting that you wire $10,000 in order to get your grand prize of $1,000.

This is for real. So get ready for a legit treasure hunt.

The hunt will go down on Thursday, August 3, and is being organized by a group that's dubbed Florida Treasure Hunts. The organization has hosted a number of smaller, grassroots-esque hunts around town thus far leading up to the August 3 cash-fest.

"There's a group of eight or nine of us that organize these hunts on the side," hunt cofounder Bo Griswold says. "I actually live in Colorado and was visiting my mom and family in Florida about a month ago. I hid $20 and it really just took off from there. We're looking forward to having this big event there."

In Colorado, these treasure hunts are quite the spectacle. Recent prizes out west have included several $1,000 prizes and even a new car.

"Yeah, we did just hide the keys to a vehicle and a family found them," Griswold says. "It was pretty awesome. The family was borrowing their grandma’s car because theirs broke down and they didn’t have enough money for a new one. Our winners were a family of three — a married couple and a young daughter."

For these treasure hunts, sponsors typically step in to foot the dough. McDonald's has teamed up with Florida Treasure Hunts to provide the August 3 prize.

All of these hunts exist to get people off the couch and doing something positive.

"It's all about getting outside and having a sense of adventure. We want to promote positivity in people’s lives," Griswold says. "Too many kids are stuck to their PlayStations or just don't do anything. Getting outside can instantly affect your mood for the better."

So, how do you get in on the action? It's pretty simple and completely free to participate.

First, you'll need to follow Florida Treasure Hunts on Facebook — that will be your hub of vital information. On July 23, the organization will post where you can pick up your scroll (a treasure map) to gain access to the August 3 hunt. And on August 3, you use that scroll and subsequent clues to find some treasure. Happy hunting!

Florida Treasure Hunts' $1,000 Hunt. Time TBD on Thursday, August 3. Visit Florida Treasure Hunts on Facebook; participation is free.