Mahe family takes over Nevada Day Treasure Hunt

A few months after deciding to stop coordinating the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt, Carson City’s Olson family has turned over the hunt to the Mahe family.

Hunting for or hiding a commemorative medallion has been part of the Olson family history for 30 years, Laurie Olson said. From the mid-1980s until 1997, the Olsons deciphered clues and hunted as part of the Portland Rose Festival Treasure Hunt in Oregon. They never found the elusive prize but had so much fun playing they decided to establish a similar game after their move to Nevada 17 years ago.

“Aligning the hunt with Nevada Day seemed like a natural fit since we wanted people to learn about the history of their home while exploring the beautiful territory,” Laurie Olson said. “We’ve made years of great family memories, but we are a bit tired after putting together 13 hunts. The event is a huge commitment in terms of time and resources. When the Mahe family said they would like to take the reins, we were delighted. They’re long-time hunters and have the passion to do a great job. Maybe we’ll get out and hunt ourselves this year.”

Carson City’s Mahe family: Patricia, Doug, Jennifer, Miranda and John Smith and Tammy are currently in the planning phases for October’s upcoming hunt.

“My mom, sister and I got talking about it, we put a lot of thought into it before (reaching out to the Olsons),” Jennifer said. “We decided we would rather not see it die, so we will make an offer and see if they will let us carry it on.”

The rest is history as the cliché goes.

The Mahe family has been participating for a number of years.

“My mom (Patricia) was hunting with a friend before anyone else. She started talking about it ... and it gravitated from there,” Jennifer said.

Jennifer said none of the family members have ever found the medallion, but they have come close, so close they watched someone else find it right in front of them. She said the family enjoys the history component along with the competitive nature involved with the hunt.

The Mahe family is currently in the process of taking over the administrative duties, building a new website, www.nevadadaytreasurehunt.com, and starting the process of figuring out how to write the clues and where to hide the medallion.

Until the hunt begins in October, hunters can find the hunt on Facebook by searching Nevada Day Treasure Hunt.

“Imagine there will be some changes,” Jennifer said. “But nothing groundbreaking.”