A hearty gift awaits spouses

The search for a unique Valentine's Day gift could be over.

The source: People at Play, a Bradenton-based adult adventure park that gives non-construction people a way to use industry equipment. The business, which launched in November, now offers a “Get Dirt-Y Couples Package.” It includes a dozen red roses, fine chocolates, and of course, machine time for both a husband and wife or boyfriend and girlfriend in a CAT 312 steel track excavator.

The package, which costs $575 per couple, also comes with a photo and a commemorative hardhat for each participant. (There is a pink hat for women.)

People at Play is run by Jason and Alisa Bennett, who own Bennett Contracting, a $3.5 million Bradenton-based firm that specializes in site work. The couple formed the business to search for new revenue sources in the recession. (See Business Review, Nov. 19.)

The Valentine's Day gift is one of two special holiday offers, says Alisa Bennett. The other one is an Easter package where participants can attempt to cleanly pick up raw colored eggs using an excavator. Chocolate bunnies that grow in size depending on how many eggs are picked up are awarded to participants.

The Easter package, available in April, costs $295 per person. “This is an egg hunt like no other,” says Alisa Bennett.

Bennett tells Coffee Talk the response to People at Play has been great in terms of interest, although she would like to increase the amount of actual packages sold.

Interested parties include ABC TV World News Now, which plans to run a feature on the company and its Valentine's Day gift. A Gulf Coast Journal with Jack Perkins also plans to produce a feature on People at Play.