Brown Deer Community Foundation Medallion Found!

After two weeks of searching with five clues, Brown Deer resident Justin Foren found the medallion the morning of May 28. Justin will win $1,500 and a complimentary meal for four at Café Corazon, who sponsored the medallion hunt coordinated by the Brown Deer Community Foundation. A special ceremony recognizing Justin will be held at Café Corazon on Tuesday, June 11 at 5 p.m. We welcome the public to attend the event to congratulate Justin and hear his story on how he found the medallion. The Brown Deer Community Foundation will certainly have discussions on continuing the medallion hunt as an annual event thanks to its success as hundreds of community members participated in the hunt. A special thank you to Jean Wells for creating the medallion as well as the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for posting the clues and CBS 58 for covering the progress of the hunt.

Below are the eight clues and a description of how the clues were pointing to this specific location.

Clue #1

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 play,

And you can be outside on a lovely day.

Brown Deer’s home values continue to rise.

You better get started if you want to win the prize.

Description: For the first clue, you learn the medallion is hidden in a public place where kids play. The medallion is outside and not in a building. The home value comment refers to the fact the medallion is on the side of the park nearer to homes, meaning it would be on the north side of Village Park and not the south side. The “running free” clue also hinted at early on the medallion was hidden near the trail.

Clue #2

Three days passed and you have yet to find me.

Don’t waste your time looking up in a tree.

I’m afraid of heights and prefer the ground.

That is where I can be found.

There’s fun at this place for everyone,

Take out the shades under the summer sun.

Let’s heat up the grill and pass me a plate.

In one of the most diverse suburbs in this state.

Description: For the second clue, you learn the medallion is somewhere on the ground. The clue “shades under the summer sun” has two meanings. First, it gives you a clue that it is near Village Pond. Second, the word “shades” is referring to the fact it is in the shade under a tree. The “pass me a plate” clue refers to the northern pavilion in Village Park and that you need to “pass” by the pavilion onto the trail to find the medallion.

Clue #3

A week has gone by and I’m still here.

Thankfully the people are nice in Brown Deer.

Drinks at Community Vibes quench my thirst,

I can’t wait to hear the music unless you find me first.

Swimming at the lake can be daunting and hard,

But here there’s calm waters and a lifeguard.

Don’t jump the fence as I’m not on the sand.

Instead, you’ll find me on grassy land.

Description: For the third clue, if people were still unaware with what park the medallion may be in, the Community Vibes clue confirms it is somewhere in Village Park. More clues about Village Pond also confirms the medallion is somewhere near the Pond. Lastly, you learn that the medallion is somewhere in the grass.

Clue #4

The kids in Brown Deer appear to be smart.

I heard their strong test scores set them apart.

It all started with the Little White School House,

And now have events in the Novak Family Field House.

Each day I look at where it all began,

The Village’s history here – I am a fan.

Yet you need to walk away from this historic landmark.

As I’m about 300 feet away from it in the park.

Description: For the fourth clue, the main clue you find out is that the medallion is 300 feet away from the Little White School House. The wording of “walk away” was another small hint the medallion could be found near the trail.  

Clue #5

While I’m enjoying my time in Village Park,

You all continue to miss the mark.

The Farmers Market and fireworks are fun,

But instead, I like to enjoy a good run.

The link to finding me is look away from Village Hall,

Where leaves may at times rest from last Fall.

While I love the patio at Café Corazon,

This is a more peaceful spot to be alone.

Description: For the fifth clue, it gives a more obvious clue it is by the trail with the reference “good run” and that it is away from Village Hall. Reference to “leaves may at times rest” in this location in the Fall also gives a more obvious clue that the medallion is hidden under a tree. For those that caught the word “link”, they realized this was a clue the medallion is near a fence.

Clue #6

As we close in on week three and yet to be found,

I can confirm that I am not by the big mound.

Instead, I’m past a nest with a bird’s beak,

Resting in a spot south of Beaver Creek.

Along the trail in a clearing, I hear people on their walk,

Going on about Brown Deer as they talk.

Big businesses, parks, schools, and chain stores,

The Village that has it all in the North Shore.

Description: We did not get to sixth clue, but this confirmed it wasn’t by the big mound but by Beaver Creek and a tree with a bird’s nest in it. This clue also would inform people it was by a tree clearing as the medallion was hidden under the last tree in a large group of trees before a clearing. Another reference to “chain” is another clue it is by the fence.

Clue #7

It’s officially June and I’m still hiding.

Brown Deer residents are really into bike riding.

I happen to be hidden near a fence,

Looking near Village Pond would make sense.

Go past the tree chewed by a furry friend,

A beaver, in fact, near the trail bend.

Now excuse me as I look to go play,

As Brown Deer is a wonderful place to stay.

Description: We did not get to the seventh clue, but this would once again confirm by the trail with the reference to bike riding. This gives an obvious clue that it is by the fence along Village Pond. It encourages participants to go past a tree that a beaver has chewed on to find the medallion.

Clue #8

This is the final clue for you all to enjoy.

You better finalize your final search ploy.

Go on the trail, north of Village Park is best,

And where the chained fence comes in walk thirty paces west.

To your left you’ll see a fence and a tree,

That a beaver has eaten away that you can clearly see.

Walk about twenty more paces west from that tree will be wise,

As you’ll find me, the heart medallion, which will win you the prize.

Description: We did not get to the eighth clue, but this would have given the exact steps to find the medallion in its hiding spot.

Location the medallion was placed and found.

Aerial view of the medallion’s placement.