Community members flock to Brown Deer for chance to find hidden medallion, win prize

BROWN DEER, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Brown Deer parks had a lot of visitors Tuesday. A publicity campaign's doing what's intended, drawing people to the north shore as they take part in a scavenger hunt with a prize of $1,500 and dinner at a local restaurant.

Those on four legs, and those on two, are ready and set to go find this medallion that's worth $1,500 and dinner at Café Corazon.

"Well, I was hoping maybe if it was in this grass, the tall grass, that he might be able to sniff it out," said Hunter Bram, of Milwaukee, with his dog, Blue.

"I saw, you know, people out with their dogs looking for it. I don't know if that gave them an advantage or not, trying to sniff it out," said Tyler Burkart, Brown Deer village manager.

Tyler Burkhart's the mastermind of the Brown Deer Community Foundation Treasure Hunt.

"Yeah, so the medallion right now is locked in in one place and is not moving in, and as each clue comes out on a Tuesday or Friday, it narrows in on the location," said Burkhart.

Clues on where this three-inch in diameter medallion's hidden are to be released on the village's website. The contest will continue until the medallion's found.

"You want it to be easy, where it's like not like after the first day you feel so defeated, but you don't want them to find it the first day either," said Burkhart.

Here is the first clue in its entirety and with spacing, as it was given out:

"It is May 14 and I’m excited to be Starting the hunt off and running free. I’m the Café Corazon heart, home of tasty food Find me and you’ll be in a celebratory mood.I’m hiding in a public place where kids playAnd you can be outside on a lovely day.Brown Deer’s home values continue to riseYou better get started if you want to win the prize."

We asked, "Did anything make sense from today's clue?" "No," said Mayan Galan, from West Allis.

"They said it would be in plain sight, but they must've done a pretty good job at it," said Bram.

In 2016, Pokémon Go had crowds out, but with their heads down in their phones. Brown Deer's got people searching heads up, no phone.

Day one, hundreds headed out to Brown Deer looking in garbage cans, and under them too. All are welcome. You don't have to live in Brown Deer to participate.

We asked, "What did you think about today's clue?"

"Very general. I'm assuming that they'll start narrowing it down," said Brian McGrath, of New Berlin.

We asked, "Is it the money that brought you out or just the fun of it?"

"Just the fun of it, totally just the fun of it."

"Alright, but the 1,500 bucks wouldn't be so bad?"

"It wouldn't be so bad, and the free meal. It's all good, right?" said McGrath.

Part of the goal in this is to get people from all communities to check out Brown Deer.