HUGO — Wild Wings of Oneka Hunt Club and Sporting Clays is the sole sponsor of this year’s Hugo Good Neighbor Days’ treasure hunt. Yes, the Golden Spike — that rakish, authentic, iron railroad spike which made its first appearance in 2006 in Hugo’s Centennial year — is back!
The Golden Spike will be hidden just in time for Hugo Good Neighbor Days on public property within a city park. Shovels will not be required, nor will metal detectors be of any use: Since 2007, Spike has actually been a plastic tent stake painted gold to frustrate metal detectors everywhere.
The winner(s) will receive a cash prize, the amount determined by whether or not they have in their possession an official 2013 Spike button. An immediate $250 cash prize will be awarded when their button and “Spike” are turned in. The remaining $750 will be mailed as a check.
This year, buttons are available at Hugo City Hall during regular business hours for a suggested donation of $2; all funds generated in this way will be donated to the Hugo Good Neighbors Food Shelf.
The first treasure hunt clues will appear in the May 30 issue of The Citizen, the last issue of the newspaper before Good Neighbor Days begins in June. The official rules are printed on this page.
If the Golden Spike isn’t found by 5 p.m. Sunday, June 10, the $1,000 prize will be donated to the Hugo Good Neighbors Food Shelf.
Grab the kids, leash the dog, and head out for a great weekend at the 2013 Good Neighbor Days celebration at Lions Park — and all the parks in between. Park and open space maps will be made available courtesy of the City of Hugo when you pick up your button. Please note: Wild Wings of Oneka is the official sponsor, but for safety reasons Spike is NOT hidden anywhere within the private hunt club’s boundaries, even though the property is shown on the City of Hugo’s official Parks and Open Space Map.
Thanks go to Galen Carlson of North Country Auto Body for his careful paint work on Spike, and a round of applause to the sponsor of this year’s hunt, Wild Wings of Oneka Hunt Club and Sporting Clays, for making the Hunt for the Golden Spike possible again this year.
2013 Hunt for the Golden Spike
The first three treasure hunt clues will be published in The Citizen’s May 30 edition.
A new clue will be posted on The Citizen’s website (www.readthecitizen.com) two times daily Thursday through Saturday, June 6-8 (at approximately 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.); the last clue will be posted at approximately 8 a.m. on Sunday June 9. (If you’re parked on our website, don’t forget to hit the refresh button to update the page!)
Clues will also be physically posted at Lions Park (look for the gold sign near the refreshment/seating area) at those approximate times. Extra copies of clues will be available, while supplies last, at that location. As a courtesy, please leave the official copy in place for other Spike hunters.
Please note: Wild Wings of Oneka is official sponsor, but for safety reasons Spike is NOT hidden anywhere within its boundaries, even though the property is shown on the City of Hugo’s official Parks and Open Space Map.
If you find the Golden Spike, immediately call the Spike Hotline (651-503-3522) to qualify for a $250 instant cash prize. No purchase is necessary to win.
The Citizen will also award an additional $750 prize to the finder if he/she has an official 2013 Hugo Good Neighbor Days “Golden Spike” button.
Buttons are available at Hugo City Hall during regular business hours, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday through Friday, June 7. Park and open space maps are also available upon request. All of the money donated for the buttons will be donated to the Hugo Good Neighbors Food Shelf.
The Citizen reserves the right to discontinue the hunt at any time if public property is destroyed.
All contestants agree that The Citizen, the Hugo Lions Club and their respective affiliate companies, parents, subsidiaries, advertising representatives and agents will have no liability whatsoever, and will be held harmless by contestants of any injuries, losses or damages of any kind resulting in whole or in part, directly or indirectly, from acceptance, possession, misuse or use of the prizes or participation in this contest.
Except where legally prohibited, by accepting the prize, the winner grants permission for The Citizen, its partners and those acting under its authority to use his or her name, photograph and/or likeness for advertising and/or publicity.
All contest rules and decisions are final.
Employees of Press Publications and their immediate family members are not eligible to win.
For a list of winners, write to The Citizen, P. O. Box 393, Hugo, MN 55038 and enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope.
2006 Todd and Dee Dee Pastorius
2008 Mark, Tonya, Andrew and Alex Weigel
2011 Christopher, Tracy and Nathan Gist
2012 Alex Valen and Ken Ng
Copyright 2013 Hugo Citizen/PressPubs.
