Military Families To Benefit From Eighth Annual ThanksUSA Treasure Hunt, Now Accessible Through Mobile Apps

Partnership with the ESA Foundation to Generate Donations for Scholarships

WASHINGTON, Nov. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Beginning Thanksgiving morning, families everywhere can play the eighth annual ThanksUSA Treasure Hunt (TH8), a free, fully interactive digital trivia and puzzle game about U.S. history, culture and values.

Announced today by ThanksUSA and their partner the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) Foundation, TH8 will be accessible starting November 22 online and, for the first time, by using mobile applications. Now in its eighth year, the hunt reinforces ThanksUSA's annual scholarship fund to benefit the children and spouses of active-duty military personnel by providing need-based scholarships for two-year or four-year colleges, vocational or technical schools. The ESA Foundation began sponsoring the annual Treasure Hunt series in 2008 and also supports 20 ThanksUSA scholarships each year. 

"Our partnership with ThanksUSA provides a unique way to thank our troops for their service. ThanksUSA scholarships for their children and spouses help them build a brighter future while our Armed Forces protect the future for all of us," said Jenny Lai, vice president of the ESA Foundation. "Treasure Hunt Eight is a creative initiative that makes learning American history fun and interactive for students and their families."

This year's treasure hunt features mind benders in topics ranging from presidents to basketball, American conflicts to holidays, and children's authors to colleges. TH8 officially launches on Thanksgiving Day with subsequent online chapters and mobile apps launched on the first of each month beginning January 1, 2013. After each TH8 chapter, four players who answer the questions correctly will each be awarded $250 Walmart gift certificates.  The challenge closes on May 31, 2013 after which a $500 Walmart gift card will be awarded to the grand prize winner. Contestants can access the game through mobile apps and online at www.ThanksUSA.org.

"We look forward to awarding 500 scholarships to the children and spouses of members of our Armed Forces in 2013," said ThanksUSA Executive Director Michele Stork. "The continued support of the ESA Foundation helps us reach our goal of giving the gift of education to families who sacrifice so much."

ThanksUSA has awarded 2,800 need-based scholarships valued at nearly $8.5 million to families representing all branches of the armed services across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

About ThanksUSA
Founded in the fall of 2005, ThanksUSA, a non-partisan 501(c) (3) organization, is an effort to thank the men and women of our armed forces and their families for their service to the country with the gift of education. The organization provides need-based, post-secondary education opportunities to the children and spouses of active-duty status military personnel through competitive scholarships. For more information, please visit www.ThanksUSA.org.

About the ESA Foundation
The ESA Foundation was created by the American interactive entertainment software industry to support and provide opportunities that can make a difference in the lives of America's youth. The Foundation is fully supported by proceeds from its limited edition charity game pack's sales and its annual fundraiser, "A Nite to Unite – for Kids."  For more information about the ESA Foundation, please visit www.esafoundation.org.

SOURCE ThanksUSA

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