Fun. Family-friendly. Free. Those are three popular descriptions of geocaching and the OpenCaching.com community. And those are the key characteristics of the KC Cache Dash expo that we're planning for Saturday, March 24, at Garmin's HQ here in Olathe, KS. While four teams of geocachers and social media gurus cruise around Kansas City hunting for caches and points to benefit charity, our engineers will spend the morning teaching visitors of all ages all about geocaching - from the basics, to building a cache, to finding caches on Garmin's campus. And that afternoon, we'll head up I-35 and do it all again at Land Rover Merriam.

But here's the best part about this high-tech treasure hunt: You can enjoy it whenever you want. There's no cost of admission for geocaching, it's never out of season, and you don't have to pay to play. Rather, simply by visiting OpenCaching.com and clicking on our Beginner's Guide, your fun has already begun. Or you can watch the video below for the basics. Already know how to cache? Just search by location - either where you are or where you're going to be - and download all of the available caches with one click. You don't need a subscription, just an adventurous spirit. And the detailed global maps mean that you can search as small or large of an area as you want. You define the boundaries, download the caches for free and get started. And once you're ready to take the next step, simply click on hide a cache. You never know, we might send out a Twitter-ready team in a tricked-out Range Rover to find it. Visit OpenCaching.com to learn more about geocaching, and click on the invitation above or read the press release here to learn more about the #KCCacheDash and how you and your friends and family can join the fun.

About the charities involved in KC Cache Dash

• KidsTLC has a mission to provide opportunities that transform kids and families in crisis while ensuring a safe environment. The group believes that the least we can do for children who have been abandoned, abused, neglected and thrown away, is to offer the opportunity to forge a healthy life for themselves. http://kidstlc.org/ Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateTLC
• Project Uplift is an all-volunteer homeless outreach program founded in 1990. Uplift survives by donations and supporters’ personal commitment to feed and clothe the area's homeless. Our goal is to deliver to the homeless those basic human needs, care and compassion that are not usually received from other organizations. http://www.uplift.org Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateUplift
• Sleepyhead Beds has delivered hundreds of beds to area children – connecting families with unused beds with families who desperately want and deserve the comfort their own bed provides. These services also benefit the community and environment by keeping hundreds of large, bulky mattresses out of area landfills. http://www.sleepyheadbeds.org Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateSHB
• YMCA of Greater Kansas City is an inclusive organization of men, women and children joined together by a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility. Everyone, regardless of age, income or background, has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive at the Y. http://www.kansascityymca.org/ Donate here: http://bit.ly/DonateYMCA