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Denver Pokeman Go: Meet Up And City Crawl Draws Thousands

By Kelly Werthmann

DENVER (CBS4) - If you haven't heard about the latest mobile game, you've likely seen it action. People who seem to be aimlessly walking around with their faces in their phones.

It's called "Pokemon Go" and it's a nonstop international craze. Now a group of Pokemon fans in Denver are using the GPS-driven app to bring people together and make friends.

"The guy behind this event recently moved here from Chicago. He wanted to get people together, make friends and just connect with people," Joey Garcia, event operations manager of The Official Denver Poke Go: Meet Up and City Crawl, said.

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CBS4's Kelly Werthmann (credit: CBS)

With the help of Garcia, thousands of people are expected to take part in the city crawl Sunday afternoon. According to the group's Facebook page, more than 5,000 people are interested in attending with more than 2,000 confirming they will attend.

"It's that one thing that everyone has in common now," Garcia said.

To kick things off, players will meet in one of three designated parks -- Cheesman Park, City Park or Washington Park. Then players will move around to other parts of the city hoping to catch the virtual creatures known as Pokemon.

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(credit: CBS)

"We don't have permits, so that's why it will just start at the parks," Garcia said. "We wanted to give players a huge advantage here in the city and to explore it, to see the sites and what the city has to offer."

Yet exploring the fake Pokemon world has very real dangers. Recently two men in California were hurt when they fell off a cliff while playing. In Pennsylvania, a 15-year-old girl was hit by a car. Garcia told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann about 50 volunteers are taking part in Sunday's event in Denver who are dedicated to keeping players safe.

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(credit: CBS)

"They're going to help monitor people so that they're not running into the streets, so they're not getting hit by cars," Garcia said. "Also that they're being safe and aware of their surroundings."

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Even though players may seem aimless while running around Denver, they have an important target goal in mind.

"Right now, it's a world full of danger and bad things," Garcia said. "We finally have something that brings us together."

Several businesses are sponsoring the Poke Go City Crawl, including Mile High Spirits, Yogurtland and Lyft. Many are offering free food, drinks and other discounts. For more information, visit the group's Facebook page by clicking here.

Kelly Werthmann joined the CBS4 team in 2012 as the morning reporter, covering national stories like the Aurora Theater Shooting and devastating Colorado wildfires. She now anchors CBS4 Weekend Morning News and reports during the week. Connect with her on Facebook or Twitter @KellyCBS4.

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