Aug. 11 – Teamwork helps winners of Huntertown Heritage Days Treasure Hunt
CONTRIBUTED
Stephanie Hubert and Brian Thomas, center, hold their prize from the Huntertown Heritage Days Treasure Hunt — a check for $418.37. Flanking them are Hal Atkinson and Sherry Myers, treasure hunt sponsors and co-coordinators of the treasure hunt.
HUNTERTOWN — All you super sleuth treasure hunters can now put away your spyglasses for another year and stop searching.
The 24th annual Huntertown Heritage Days Treasure Hunt canister has been found. Stephanie Hubert and Brian Thomas coordinated their efforts several times during their search and found the instructions to claiming the treasure just before noon Aug. 9.
First, in typical community spirit fashion, an announcement was made that the IN Northwest News edition containing the final clue would be at Well Grounded Café at 10:45 a.m. Aug. 9. Further, the clue was also set to be posted online at 11:11 a.m.
From the start, the couple, both of whom work from home, coordinated their efforts to find the treasure.
“I had him (Brian Thomas) go down to the coffee shop to get the newspaper. He texted me a picture of the clue. Based on the clue, I knew immediately it was at the Lutheran Church,” Stephanie Hubert said.
But, WHERE at Our Hope Lutheran Church, 1826 Trinity St., was the treasure?
“We met at the church. There were other people there looking around. Then Brian said, ‘We need to figure out this last part of the clue, so we know exactly where to look,'” Hubert said.
Again, the couple coordinated their efforts to find the coveted treasure.
According to Hubert, the real tip-off was nearly the last line of the final clue which read, “Ponder HW and W for a clue.”
Brian figured out “HW” and “W” could only refer to the well-known Bush families. A father and son who once lived in the White House during their respective tenures as presidents of the United States.
So they looked for a bush.
But again, WHICH bush to search?
“We started looking through all the bushes when we noticed a row of five bushes in front of the church,” Hubert said.
One final time, the pair coordinated their efforts to find the treasure.
“So, he (Thomas) started at one end, and I started at the other to look through the row of bushes. It just so happened to be in the first bush he started looking at,” Hubert said.
Hubert and Thomas found the canister containing instructions on how to claim the treasure hidden.
The original treasure hunt prize was boosted by $100 to $418.37 this year because Environmental Management Specialists, Inc., located at 2409 Hunter Road, became a new corporate sponsor as the 2023 treasure hunt was getting underway, Hal Atkinson, treasure hunt co-organizer, said.
The odd amount with the extra change is in honor of the founding of Huntertown in 1837.
Other longtime sponsors are Lima Road Dentistry, 9019 Lima Road, and Well Grounded Café, 14517 Lima Road. IN Northwest News is the media sponsor.
Besides being a sponsor, Sherry Myers, owner of the Well Grounded Café, serves as co-organizer of the annual event.
“We welcome sponsors,” Atkinson said. “If any small-business owners or other civic-minded Huntertown residents are interested in becoming sponsors for the 2024 treasure hunt, please call Lima Road Dentistry at (260-)489-4090. Next year will be the 25th anniversary treasure hunt.”