A Carson City grandmother spotted the hidden medallion Tuesday morning and became the winner of the third annual Nevada Day Treasure Hunt.
Reading the 12th clue Tuesday was all Bonnie Nishikawa, 65, needed to convince her the treasure was in the May Arboretum and Botanical Garden in Reno. She rushed out the door with her husband, Kiyoshi, to find the prize.
The two had been hunting for the prize for days, even scouring the grounds of the arboretum during the weekend.
When Bonnie Nishikawa spotted it hanging in a pine tree in one of the gardens, she yelled at her husband, "I found it! I found it."
"I was so excited," she said. "Not only for the (prize money) but that we found it."
The first person to grab the hidden medallion treasure wins $1,000. Nishikawa said she is sure she will make good use of the prize.
The first thing the proud grandmother did was take it to a kindergarten class in Carson City to show her grandson Challen, 5. It was the treasure he had helped her look for earlier in the week.
The treasure hunt, sponsored by the Nevada Appeal, was created by Jesse Olson of Carson City, who provides the medallion and 15 clues each year.
All clues are based on historical facts about Nevada and the medallion is hidden somewhere within Carson, Churchill, Douglas, Lyon, Storey or Washoe counties. One clue a day is published in the newspaper leading up to Nevada Day.
The Nishikawas spent hours this year researching local history and looking through different locations. They were ready to give up when they found it Tuesday morning.
"It was like looking for a needle in a haystack," Nishikawa said.
