A conversation with Monticello Community Center co-workers provided the impetus for this year’s TDS and Monticello Times Medallion Hunt winner to start searching.
Sara Cahill discovered the medallion Tuesday afternoon around 12:45 p.m. while she was out walking on her lunch break. Cahill works at the Monticello Community Center as program and operations coordinator.
Cahill said she discovered the medallion on the ground behind the community center marquee, by the flag poles, on the southeast corner of the building, directly across from the W. Sixth and Walnut street sign.
“I’m still excited about finding it,” she said. “I told the entire story to my kids when I got home. I told them I went on a scavenger hunt. I told them how I looked high and I looked low.”
Cahill also shared the news of her discovery with her co-workers after running across the street to the Monticello Times office at 540 Walnut St. to have her medallion find verified.
“I kept looking, and I looked up at the flag pole, then I looked down, and that’s when I saw the medallion on the ground,” Cahill said. “I knew it had to be hiding around the community center because it is in the center of the city. I initially thought it would be hiding up high in the swan sculpture.”
Cahill found the medallion, which was designed by Brooke Bechtold, after two clues were released Monday and Tuesday of this week. The Crummy Boys Shop, Inc. donated this year’s medallion.
Hunt clues were posted on monticellotimes.com and on the newspaper’s Facebook page and on TDS Telecom’s Facebook page.
The clue for Dec. 26 read as follows: “I can be found where friends and families gather for fun.”
The clue for Dec. 27 clue read, “In the heart of the city is where I will be. When you search high and low all around the city.” Cahill said she read both clues on Facebook.
“As I was searching, I figured I would pick up trash around the community center,” Cahill said, adding that as she searched, she saw something shiny and thought that it might be the medallion but it was an empty juice box. “I kept looking and I saw it laying on the ground. I looked closely and realized it was the real medallion!”
Cahill said’s she’s always kept tabs on the medallion hunt clues, but this year was the first time she decided to make an active search.
“There used to be a medallion hunt with Walk ‘N Roll, and I was involved with that. It used to be tricky to find spots to hide a medallion. I was glad to see the Monticello Times and TDS decided to continue sponsoring a medallion hunt in the winter. “I would encourage more people to go out next time and search for the medallion,” Cahill said. “It might be right there in front of you. It’s fun to get out in the community and look for it. Make it a family event.”
Each year, the person or party who finds the TDS and Monticello Times medallion gets a print and online picture and story published in the Monticello Times. This year, the prize for finding the etched medallion was $150.
