The hottest buzz around Pine City last week was the WCMP Medallion Hunt.
It started as an enjoyable hunt for listeners, who would tune into Sports and Stuff at 8:15 and eagerly await the daily clue. However, the hunt quickly became the source of a local mystery when the final clue had passed, and those who searched came up empty.
Days passed, the weekend rolled over, and still no word of the winner.
Until late Tuesday night.
Just after midnight WCMP's Facebook page received the longest message we've ever had, and one of the best.
When a medallion hunt happens a variety of factors are uncontrollable:
1. The weather - if a hurricane came through Pine City the medallion would be gone forever
2. Our intern - if our clueless intern forgot to hide the medallion, no one could find it.
3. Dinosaurs
4. The medallion is found by someone who doesn't realize what it is, puts it in his soccer bag, and doesn't think anything of it.
Number four it is.
Garrett Estenson is the winner of the 2017 WCMP Medallion Hunt purely by accident. Garrett is a soccer coach who coaches numerous games at the hockey rinks (where the medallion was hidden, in a penalty box) in Pine City throughout the summer.
Last week, he found a medal he believed to be a race medal that someone had lost. Being the good Samaritan he is, Garrett placed it in his bag so that it wouldn't be lost and he could return it to its rightful owner. After hearing two other people next to him talking about the Medallion Hunt, he quickly rifled through his bag only to pull out the fateful $500 prize, much to the surprise and elation of those around him.
Garrett has even chosen to split that hefty prize with the two other people who were present.
Sometimes, good things happen to good people.
Congratulations Garrett!
