The long-running reality show “Survivor” will begin airing its 50th season this month. To accompany the milestone, network CBS is hosting the “Survivor 50 Challenge,” a contest that offers fans a chance to win a trip to the season finale in Los Angeles.
The challenge, marketed as a “national scavenger hunt,” gives contestants clues to the location of each Immunity Idol, one for each state. It just so happened the Georgia idol was located at Okefenokee Swamp.
More than 500 contestants made the trip to the Okefenokee Swamp Park on February 1, braving the freezing weather and deciphering the various riddles that eventually led to the Waycross entrance to the park.
According to Okefenokee Operations and Facility Manager Hunter Barber, the park was contacted by the event organizers, who “wanted a unique swamp landscape” for the Georgia idol.
“We would have loved to be there in spring or summer,” said event organizer Tyler Clinebell. “We wanted Georgia to be somewhere jungly and mysterious.”
Clinebell also added that they chose the Okefenokee due to its distance from most major Georgia cities. “We wanted somewhere people had to work to get there.”
“Even though it was very cold, it was our most successful event so far,” he said.
“We view it as a very successful event,” Barber said. “We appreciate the visitors we got on one of the coldest days of the year, and we just encourage people to come out and visit us.”
Speaking about the turnout, Clinebell stated that there were some dedicated participants attending who had also made the trip to the Miami event in Florida. He also added that he felt the event had a positive economic impact on Waycross with the surge in visitors.
“Georgia was everything we envisioned,” he said.
“Survivor” will begin airing its 50th edition on CBS Wednesday, February 25.
