MANSFIELD — Several realtors gathered Monday at Haring Realty’s downtown Mansfield office to create game board pieces for the agency’s second annual Richlandopoly, a life-sized and localized version of Monopoly.
The game, set to run from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 22, is in conjunction with the United Way of Richland County’s Dash to the Goal event. It will feature eight area businesses and organizations competing to acquire the most property and opportunities for bystanders to participate and win prizes.
The proceeds, gathered via sponsorships and in-person donations, directly benefit the United Way.
“The exciting thing is last year we raised about 8,000 for United Way, and this year, so far we’ve raised $11,500,” said Jessica Ney of Haring Realty. “We’re very excited about raising some more money and the opportunity to get more people involved in the community.”
Last year most of the large props — including a jail cell — were constructed, but this year, many props had to be recreated or updated.
For instance, Ney explained, the sponsorship on some of the real estate was purchased by a different sponsor, so the hotels needed relabeled.
“It’s really cool because the cards have Richland County businesses on the card,” Ney said.
There’s Uncle Johns, OhioHealth and dozens of others featured.
This year’s teams are Richland Bank, Mechanics Bank, Richland Source, Schmidt Security, Warren Rupp, Hamilton Insurance, Southern Title and the Ohio State Reformatory. The Reformatory won the game last year and is returning to defend its title.
The game will be played on a 20×20-foot game board at the Richland Mall. The team with the most property and value after two hours will win.
Bystanders will have occasional opportunities to roll the giant dice, can take selfies in the jail cell for $5, and can donate for a chance to win locally-sourced prizes.
“They have a chance to win a prize every time a player lands on chance,” Ney said.
