July 4th, 2026, will be the 250th birthday of our country. On that date in 1776, the Founding Fathers agreed to declare their independence from the rule of the British king. We are celebrating by challenging you to find or hide geocaches with words pertaining to that event.
 
Complete the results form and submit it no later than September 7, 2026 (11:59 PM). Project-GC will be used to determine your points. NO ENTRY FORM IS REQUIRED.

Players are expected to understand and play by the Common Contest Rules as well as the MiGO Code of Fair Play.

Anyone can play, but only MiGO members can win. For more information on joining MiGO, click here.

A maximum of one entry is allowed for each geocaching account.

All dates and times are in Eastern Standard Time (UTC−05:00) or Eastern Daylight Time (UTC−04:00), whichever is in effect.

1. Finds:
   1. Find caches containing any of the words from the word list in the title.
   2. Finds must be made between July 4, 2026, and August 31, 2026.
      
2. Hides:
   1. Hide caches containing any of the words from the word list in the title.
      
   2. Hides must be published between July 4, 2026, and August 31, 2026.
3. Eligible Caches:  
   1. Any cache with a GC code is eligible.
   2. Each individual cache can only be used once.
4. A maximum of one word will count for each cache. For example, a cache named "United States" would count for either "United" or "States," but not both.
5. Words can be part of another word in the cache title, but must be continuous. To be continuous, all letters of the word must be in the same order and not separated by anything else (e.g. "states" in "statesman").
6. If a word in the list is comprised of multiple words, any of the individual words will count. As an example, caches do not have to contain "New Hampshire" exactly in the title − either "New" or "Hampshire" will count.

1. Points:
1. Each qualifying find or hide will be awarded 1 point.
   
2. Lake Superior members will have their points doubled (not included in the checker; will be calculated later).
2. Winners:
   1. Winners will be chosen by a random drawing of entrants. The more points you have, the greater your chances of winning.
   2. The number of winners will depend on the number of entrants:
      • 1-15 entrants = 1 winner
      • 16-30 entrants = 2 winners
      • 31+ entrants = 3 winners
3. Prizes:
   1. Lake Superior and Lake Huron members are playing for a collectible geocoin.
   2. Lake St. Clair and Trial members are playing for a membership upgrade coupon.
   3. Membership is measured at the end of the challenge. Anyone who upgrades their membership during the challenge period will be competing at the upgraded level.
   4. The challenge managers reserve the right to offer additional prizes, depending on the number of entrants.