The Liberty County Convention and Visitors Bureau announces that “Fireball Run” will film live in Liberty County on Thursday and Friday.
This event is open to the public, and residents and visitors alike are encouraged to come out in force to show support for the show and welcome the contestants. Parts of the “finish line” and “starting line” events will be live-streamed and filmed for the show.
Contestants include four international astronauts; Adrianne Curry, the first winner of America’s Next Top Model; Christopher McDonald from films such as Happy Gilmore and Thelma & Louise; as well as industrial leaders, CEOs, political figures and top business leaders.
The “finish line” event will take place Thursday in Bradwell Park in downtown Hinesville. Teams will begin arriving after finishing their missions throughout Liberty County between 3 and 5 p.m. The Hinesville Farmers Market will be open as usual, and people will have the opportunity to meet the team members and find out the winners for the Liberty County missions.
The “Fireball Run” contestants will leave Liberty County between 8 and 9 a.m. Friday. Mayor Jim Thomas will deliver a pistol start from Main Street in downtown Hinesville. Viewers may line up along Main Street to cheer the teams as they drive to their next destination — in Sanford, Florida — led out by the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office.
Commerce Street will be closed to vehicle traffic Thursday afternoon. Parts of Main Street and Memorial Drive will be closed Friday morning. Work and school routes will need to be adjusted accordingly. Expect some traffic delays beginning at 6 a.m., when the roads close, until after 9 a.m., when the last car departs.
“We are very pleased and excited to welcome the ‘Fireball Run’ teams and production crew to Liberty County,” CVB CEO Leah Poole said. “The ‘Fireball Run’ contestants are looking for destinations that aren’t cookie-cutter vacation spots. We have a rich history and culture here, and we want to show them our amazing hospitality and why we’re such a great place to visit and to live.”
“Fireball Run” is an adventure travel series that follows the story of 40 teams as they compete in an eight-day, 2,000-mile life-sized Trivial Pursuit-style game. The show’s producers call it “the most legendary ‘adventu-rally’ in America.”
The show’s contestants engage in history and community, as local points of interest that are woven into the series’ storyline. Driving teams are composed of industry leaders, celebrities and elected officials from across the country. Teams, fans and viewers go hands-on with location-based history and culture.
“Fireball Run” has been in production since 2004, and the 2015 series production is called “Space Race.” Contestants start in Hartford, Connecticut, and cross the finish line in Florida’s Space Coast. The race takes them through Queen Anne’s County, Maryland; Williamsburg, Virginia; Topsail Island, North Carolina; and Florence, South Carolina, before they arrive in Liberty County.
The show also works with the Child Rescue Network to help recover missing children. Each team will represent a missing child from its area. Team members will pass out fliers and spread the word so people are aware and can participate in the search and rescue. To date, “Fireball Run” has assisted in finding 44 missing children with the show’s media exposure.
For more information, contact the CVB at 912-368-4445 or tourism@libertycounty.org, or go to www.libertycounty.org. Go to www.fireballrun.com for more information on the show and to watch episodes from past seasons.
The CVB has set up an event page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/events/927120544011388.
Anyone who comes to the finish and start lines on Thursday and Friday is encouraged to take photos and videos of the event and use the hashtags #FireballRun and #libertycounty when posting to social media.