Online treasure hunt gives thanks to military families

(CNN) -- Several years ago, sisters Rachel and Kelsi Okun wanted to find a way to give thanks not just to U.S. troops, but to the families who support them.

"We're trying to do what we can as a little family to help those families out there," said Rachel, who is now in the sixth grade.

The sisters wanted to thank troops deployed in Iraq or Afghanistan by helping provide school supplies or college tuition for their children.

"They give us the right to be who we can be, and we want to give it back to them," said Kelsi, a fourth-grade student.

After some brainstorming, the girls came up with an idea: An online treasure hunt. Watch how the treasure hunt got started »

The sisters -- 10 and 8 at the time -- wanted to share their love for treasure hunts in a way that helps others, so they created the virtual game for their new charity, "ThanksUSA."

So far, ThanksUSA has given out more than a thousand scholarships, totaling nearly $4 million dollars.

ThanksUSA is launching its third annual treasure hunt this Thanksgiving. The game, based on American values and history, is played entirely online. There are hundreds of questions, and the clues and puzzles eventually lead the participant to the final answer.

The game is free to play, but players are encouraged to donate to the scholarship fund.

Even President Bush has taken notice of their charitable effort. Rachel was among the participants in a meeting last fall with Bush and organizations that support the military in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Kelsi gives credit to her dad, Bob Okun, a Republican lobbyist for NBC/Universal.

"My dad has some good connections, so he helped," she said.

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings said nonprofits like ThanksUSA are essential to helping military families when the federal budget is so tight.

"It just shows what one person can do -- or in this case, two people can do," she said. E-mail to a friend

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