Local couple takes home $10,000 after finding prize-winning item in treasure hunt
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IDAHO FALLS – A local couple is $10,000 richer after finding the prize-winning rock in a treasure hunt sponsored by Bodifi.
The fitness gym’s fourth annual Rock Hunt got underway June 5. Participants followed clues on the Bodifi app and social media pages to uncover rocks for cash prizes.
The treasure hunt included four prize-winning rocks. Three of them were miniature rocks worth $1,500 a piece. They were found during the first week. Laurie and Lindsey Johnson and Sicily Rasmussen found the first rocks.
Zoey Lanier and her son found the second rock and those who found the third rock were Yvonne and Karston Simmons, with the help of their children, Addie and Harper.
On Saturday, 10 days after the hunt began, Piper Hogue, 21, of Rexburg, found the big rock worth $15,000 at the Gem Lake Recreation Area in Idaho Falls. She and her boyfriend, Mason Priest, 23, of Rigby, had been searching for the rock all week, but he happened to be golfing when Piper found it.
Participants were required to hunt in groups and wear an official shirt to claim the full $15,000. Since Piper found it on her own, they were awarded $10,000.
“As soon as I found it, I started crying. I couldn’t believe it,” Hogue tells EastIdahoNews.com.
Though they didn’t win the full amount, the couple is still excited for the extra cash. They’re planning to use it for a down payment on a house.
“We’re going to save the money and try to save a little more on our own and then put a down payment on a house and get our lives started,” Hogue says. “He says he wants to propose before the end of the year, but we’ll see.”
There were roughly 30 people searching in the Gem Lake area when Piper found it, says Bodifi Marketing Director Ethan Pabst. He estimates several hundred people participated in the treasure hunt.
Bodifi launched the rock hunt in 2021 as a way to give back to the community.
“We provide people with a good facility to come in and better themselves everyday. We wanted to celebrate that and our amazing members,” Pabst tells EastIdahoNews.com. “Allowing them to look for the rock but also spend time with their families and be outdoors with people they enjoy being around is our main reason for (hosting these hunts).”
Pabst says they’ve received lot of positive feedback from the community and interest continues to grow every year.
The company is planning to host another hunt around the same time in 2025.
“We are thrilled with the turnout and enthusiasm for the 2024 Bodifi Rock Hunt,” Bodifi CFO Justin Ball says in a news release. “It’s inspiring to see our community come together, enjoy the outdoors, and make unforgettable memories. We look forward to continuing this tradition and making each year even more exciting for the community.”