Sisters find fair medallion
After years of being tantalizingly close, two Brainerd sisters can now look skeptics in the eye with glee.
Sisters Sandy Heikkenen and Bobbie Holloway found the Crow Wing County Fair Medallion in the early morning hours Saturday - the fair's last day.
Heikkenen, who looks for the medallion every year, called her sister about 6:30 a.m. Saturday.
"I had to beg my sister 'I'm coming over. Get up,'" she said.
Holloway wasn't as anxious to get going.
"She said 'are you serious?'" Heikkenen said.
Sisters Bobbie Holloway (left) and Sandy Heikkenen discovered the Crow Wing County Fair Medallion in the early morning hours on the fair's last day. The last clue was the key as they found the medallion by the pop machine next to the Methodist Youth Malts and Slushes building.
Brainerd Dispatch/Renee Richardson
"Every year she says 'fine if you don't find it I'm not giving you half,'" Holloway said. That was enough incentive.
They arrived at the fair about 6:45 a.m. and got the final clue. It was enough to put them on the right trail. After looking briefly they struck gold about 7 a.m. The medallion was beneath the blue crate supporting a Mountain Dew pop machine next to the Methodist Youth Malts and Slushes building.
The final clue included the keys "if it's blue you're in luck. Would you like a soda? You might have to duck."
Holloway ducked down by the pop machine and saw the medallion.
The medallion hunt is in its 12th year and is sponsored by Mid-Minnesota Federal Credit Union and the Brainerd Dispatch. The women will split the $1,000 prize.
Holloway and Heikkenen have nine good reasons between them for spending the money. Holloway has four children and Heikkenen has four children and a step child. They said the money is going toward back-to-school clothes. Brainerd natives, Holloway works at Minnesota Home Care and Heikkenen works at Hertz.
Heikkenen was out looking for the medallion Friday night.
"We were way off yesterday," she said.
She has looked each day and estimates she has about 15 hours into the search. When the sisters started looking for the medallion early Saturday there were many others on the trail armed with the fresh clue. They were already looking when fair buildings and booths were still shuttered.