The Nevada Day Treasure Hunt runs Oct. 4-Oct. 31. Last year’s winner, Evan Cherpeski, found the medallion under a rock in Kahle Park near Stateline.
Photo by Faith Evans.
The Nevada Day Treasure Hunt adds a fun sense of history leading up to Nevada Day festivities, and this year the hunt, which officially begins Oct. 4, is being organized by a family that’s no stranger to the Silver State.
“We have three generations involved in the planning of the treasure hunt, ranging in age from 17 to 79,” said Angela Flora, a hunt administrator and member of the McKee family. “The McKees moved to Nevada in 1984 when our dad, Paul, was transferred here for work. That began our love affair with Nevada, with her wide-open spaces and abundance of camping, fishing, hunting, and other outdoor activities. As the McKee kids grew up, they settled here and started families of their own.”
According to Nevada Day Treasure Hunt Inc., the nonprofit that runs the event, the hunt was first started in 2000 by the Olson family.
“Their idea took hold on the Silver State’s historical hounds, and the family went on to host 13 hunts,” says the group’s website. “They recruited the support of local businesses, including the Nevada Appeal, which printed the daily clues.”
The Mahe family took over in 2014, hosting for eight years, before the McKee family stepped up this year. In this way, the hunt has become a family tradition.
“The core of the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt are the members of the family who live here in Nevada, but we have family members all over the states and the world who are contributing as well with graphic design and social media presence,” Flora said.
The family’s involvement with past hunts — and a passion for history — made them jump at the chance of helming the event.
“We have enjoyed the hunt in the past and worked together to solve the clues,” Flora said. “We would wake up early to read the clues on Facebook and add to our group text about ideas as we researched Nevada history and lore. Our family loves the history of Nevada, and we always enjoyed the way the treasure hunt brought the history to life. Through the hunt, we learned more about our great state and visited places we never knew existed.”
Flora said the family will bring the same energy and excitement this year as in years past.
“We were so excited to be chosen to take it over, and we feel the responsibility of continuing to provide a high-quality, fun, and entertaining hunt to the people of Northern Nevada,” Flora said. “We aren't looking to change very much this year. We sincerely think it’s a case of ‘if it’s not broke, don't fix it.’ You may see some additional sponsors and a new look to the website and social media, but we are committed to bring Nevada history to life, like the previous families did.”
The hunt centers around a medallion hidden somewhere in Carson, Churchill, Douglas, Lyon, Mineral, Pershing, Storey or Washoe counties. The 16 clues are provided Tuesday through Saturday and published in the Nevada Appeal and on the hunt website starting Oct. 4. The person who finds the medallion wins $1,000.
For information, visit nevadadaytreasurehunt.org.
Treasure hunt rules
• The medallion will not be hidden on school property.
• The medallion will not be buried, and no structure needs to be disturbed or climbed to find it.
• Treasure hunting must be limited to daylight hours.
• Treasure hunters must be respectful of others’ privacy, property and person. The medallion will not be hidden on private property; searching on private property is prohibited.
• Treasure hunters must obey all posted signs and ensure that any gates for public areas are closed securely upon exiting, if the gate was closed upon the treasure hunter’s entry. Areas being searched should be left undisturbed, in the same condition as before the search.
• The first hunter to find the medallion must bring it to the Nevada Appeal, 580 Mallory Way in Carson City, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday for validation of the medallion and eligibility and to redeem the prize. The winning hunter must provide to organizers his or her name, date of birth, email address (if any), physical address and phone number. The winning hunter may also be required to execute an affidavit of eligibility and liability/publicity release.
• Treasure hunters are not permitted to communicate with the official treasure hunt representatives, organizers, or sponsors for additional clue clarification, advice or assistance.
• Treasure hunters must be at least 18 years old.
• Any treasure hunter found to have violated these rules will be ineligible to win the prize.
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