By Sherri Blevins
On May 23, 2019, Goldie went missing, and Whitley Mitchell found Goldie. Goldie, the Golden Press Pass, represented $500.00 to the individual who returned him to Mountain Valley News (MVN). This contest was the first of many MVN hopes to host to add a little summer excitement for those treasure seeking individuals. Sixteen area businesses sponsored the contest including Local Cash Advance, White Realty, Rainsville Chamber of Commerce, James BBQ, Lydia’s Ace Hardware, Sylvania Pharmacy, First Southern Bank, Casa Polbamos, Ider Drugs, Kelly’s Kitchen, Roger’s Pawn Shop, Lowes, City of Rainsville, Collinsville Drugs, Ken Gann at Alfa, and Bobby Ledbetter’s Twin City Used Cars. Thank you to all sponsors and participants that visited the businesses during the search.
Whitley Mitchell, of Rainsville, found Goldie on Thursday, June 13, 2019, at approximately 7:00 PM at the Rainsville Field of Dreams. Goldie was taped under a drain spout located on the Field of Dreams stage. Sammy Smith, Parks and Recreations Manager, stated that about 100 people had scoured the Field of Dreams during the week looking for Goldie.
MVN talked with Mitchell about her adventure that commenced the first day the first clue was released. Mitchell stated that she, with the help of a few close friends, searched all through Rainsville starting at the red light and going to Valley View Tubing in one direction and Northeast Alabama Community College in the other direction. She even checked out the Chavies Bridge Construction Site (without breaking any laws) and mistakenly someone’s front yard. At the end of the search, her husband, Zane, even joined in on the fun. Mitchell confessed, “At the beginning, Zane thought I was crazy going out at 9:30 at night looking at Northeast, driving around in the dark looking in every business parking lot in the area. But this last week, he got sucked in and took off early from work to search for Goldie. It became addictive.”
Mitchell revealed that one of the best things about the experience was the fun she had with her friends and colleagues at First Southern Bank in Rainsville. She said, “Each morning at First Southern Bank, the other employees and I talked about the latest Goldie clue. It was fun hearing what everybody’s opinion was about where he/she thought Goldie was hiding. You could tell everybody was secretly making notes about where to look next. It was interesting to see what everybody thought. When it was over, we were shocked that one of us had found it.” Mitchell made a special agreement with her friend Bethany Cox, her partner in crime, that if they found Goldie together, they would split the money down the middle. If either one of them found Goldie on her own, she would give $100.00 to the other one. Cox was on her way back from Albertville when Mitchell found Goldie, so she did receive $100.00 from the quest.
Mitchell also added about the contest, “I was in it to win it from the beginning. When I found it, I was in total shock, and people tell me they could hear me squealing at the ballpark. It was a lot of fun going around Rainsville seeing things differently than before. It got me out of my day to day routine.”
Be on the lookout for Goldie’s next adventure, coming soon.