Cliff Buchan

News Editor

The hunt for the FLake Festival medallion is over.

 

Two Forest Lake mothers and their kids found the medallion at 5:10 p.m. last Friday at Kulenkamp Park.

The treasure hunt was a signature event of the second annual Flake Festival sponsored by Roberts Family Funeral Home, the Forest Lake Area Chamber of Commerce and the city of Forest Lake.

Friends Kristi Immel and Shannon Tetrault, with help from their kids, Breann, 5, and Billy, 7, found the medallion inside a True Value Hardware Store bag that had been placed on the ground near a tree that had been topped.

The treasure finders claimed the $500 prize after spending three days on the hunt. The friends hadn’t planned on taking part but after a series of phone calls and text messages, their interest peaked. They bought a Chamber button and began their search.

Tetrault and Immel spent most of Wednesday, Feb. 22 searching at a number of city parks where the medallion had been hidden. On Thursday, Feb. 23 they spent about six hours at Kulenkamp Park but with no success.

On Friday, with a new clue in hand, they searched at Beltz Park and again at Kulenkamp Park. After 20 minutes at the park, Immel was the lucky finder as she picked up the bag to find the medallion tucked neatly inside. They called Chamber President Colleen Eddy to claim their prize.

The treasure hunt was just one of a series of winter events that took place over the past two weekends and all of last week. The winter celebration kicked off on Saturday, Feb. 18 with the Forest Lake Rotary Club’s Winter Plunge that raised more than $120,000.

While a pond hockey tournament on Feb. 17-19 was scratched because of poor lake ice conditions, last Saturday’s Snoball Tourney on Ice was played on the lake off Lakeside Memorial Park. Eight coed softball teams donned winter clothing and broomball shoes to compete for a championship and cash prize, all in the name of fun and fund-raising for Forest Lake Area Athletic Association programs.

“Everyone was slipping and sliding and having a ball,” said Scandia resident, Marilyn Hogle, who at 86 was the oldest to step up to bat. Players batted from a home plate made of carpet remnants and ran between bases marked by orange cones.

 

Umpire and organizer Kathy Graen was pleased by the turnout, but anticipates more teams in next year’s event.

“The warm weather in January had me crossing my fingers that the ice would be thick enough. It turned out we could not have asked for better weather and our teams had a great time.”

Sponsors of this year’s Snoball were Vannelli’s by the Lake, Forest Lake Printing, Coates RV, Ward and Deb Johnson, Wilcox Chrysler, The Nesting Grounds, Chisago Roadhouse Tavern, Olson’s Sewer Service and Sigstad’s Mill-Direct Carpeting.

Teams participating in Snoball came from Forest Lake, Scandia, Hugo, White Bear Lake, Cambridge, Stout and St. Paul.

The Snoball Tourney was a kickoff for FLAAA’s adult coed softball leagues. Teams are now forming for spring play, scheduled for Wednesday and Friday evenings. Teams interested in joining a league may visit FLAAA.org for more information.

Photos of the event may be viewed at janghogle.zenfolio.com.

Copyright 2012 Forest Lake Times.