Cornwall man wins $10k in fundraising treasure hunt
Along with over 400 other Islanders, Levi Barnes of Cornwall, P.E.I., spent his Saturday digging for buried treasure in a Charlottetown field.
Unlike the other participants in the Island Big Dig treasure hunt, he's $10,000 richer by a stroke of luck.
"Well, I didn't actually find the [$10,000]. What they did at the end of the day, they did a draw of all the names of the people that participated," Barnes said.
"Believe me, it came as a big surprise when I got the phone call."
On Saturday, the P.E.I. Smashers ringette organization held a treasure hunt to raise funds. Participants who joined paid $25 for a shovel to dig for prizes.
Barnes, 74, spent an hour on the field trying to find an orange container filled with the loot. There were tokens for other prizes buried in the clay.
"I dug a few holes, tried to find a few disks, chatted with my daughter and grandson that was there with us and we just enjoyed the day," Barnes said.
"The odds against my name being drawn or finding that container in the hole were probably very slim."
He has never won a prize that compares to the $10,000 cheque, he said.
Some will go toward a new roof. He also he plans to share with his family.
He'd like to see the fundraiser become an annual event.
"It's an excellent concept. I hope they keep it up in the future. It gives families a chance to get out into the field, and a lot of people don't realize how hard it is to dig out of two-foot holes of clay on P.E.I., but it was fun."
Organizers hope to stage the event again next year and, if they do, Barnes plans to attend.
