Beckie Josephitis and Bob Schraufnagel find the 2025 Brown Deer Medallion!
The Brown Deer Community Foundation is excited to announce that Beckie Josephitis and Bob Schraufnagel are the winners of the Brown Deer Community Foundation Medallion Hunt sponsored by Café Corazon. The medallion was found just off the Oak Leaf Trail the morning of Friday, June 6. Beckie and Bob will split the $2,000 winnings and win a complimentary meal at Café Corazon in Brown Deer.
The Brown Deer Community Foundation will host an award ceremony and hand over the prized check to the winners on Tuesday, June 17 at 6 p.m. at Café Corazon. Media and members of the public are welcome to attend to talk with the winners, get a meal at Café Corazon, and celebrate the ending of the second medallion hunt.
Beckie and Bob began the hunt not knowing each other. Beckie is from Cedarburg, and Bob is from Brown Deer. The two kept running into each other while searching for the medallion. They began discussing the clues with each other and figured they should work together because it was more fun looking with a partner. They agreed to split the winnings if they found the medallion. Beckie spent several days looking for the medallion and probably walked 8 miles searching when the fifth clue was released. Bob estimates he spent 70 hours searching for the medallion.
The following is a description from Beckie of the events leading up to finding the medallion on the morning of June 6:
The day we found it we started looking as soon as Clue #6 was released. There we were looking through what I felt were the same places over and over and over. You know what they say, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”. After almost two hours of looking, I told Bob I am done. I cannot look through any more grass, I have no idea where this medallion is, and I am tired. It’s a needle in a haystack. Bob had one more idea and I said alright let’s do this.
This is when Bob’s love of nature came in handy. He says to me, “You see all those purple wildflowers, bees like those. I say we search around the purple flowers and if we don’t find anything, we can call it a day”. We looked around at the first group of flowers, nothing. Moved to the next group of purple flowers and almost immediately Bob spots an empty nest on top of a bush. He whispers Beckie, it’s here; this is where it is at. Bob goes to look at the tall grass closer to the path. I get down on the ground to look low (Clue #1 said look low to win the crown) and almost immediately I spotted the medallion tucked in at the “roots” of the switchgrass. I am like Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob, Bob and he rushes over and says oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, we found it!!! Then we are both like now what? Do we just leave with it, or do we tell everyone? We decided to tell everyone because these were the same people we saw out here early every morning looking. They were getting tired of looking too, and out of respect, we didn’t want them to keep looking for something that was found. Just before 7:00 a.m., the medallion was found.
Beckie and Bob give the following advice for future participants when searching for the medallion:
“Trust the clues, trust the village. Get out and participate. It’s great exercise and you meet so many wonderful people! Explore the areas you may not know exist. I had no idea of the restaurants there in the old village or the fabulous beer garden that is there. One Friday night, there were food trucks out there and kids having fun in the Community Square. Bob already knew this because he lives there. The prize was nice to win, don’t get us wrong. Honestly, the people we met in the past three weeks really made the experience a fun one!”
About the Brown Deer Community Foundation: The Brown Deer Community Foundation focuses on making our community a top choice for residents and businesses in the north shore of Milwaukee County. It works to enhance health and well-being, promote environmental sustainability and support public and creative arts, all to benefit everyone who chooses Brown Deer for their home or business. Contact: jimf2robg@gmail.com
About Café Corazon: George and Wendy Mireles sought to bring fresh Latin cuisine to Milwaukee. Using beef and produce from Wendy's family's farm, supporting local farmers, and growing produce at their own urban garden, Café Corazón has been committed to serving the freshest local fare for both meat eaters and vegan/vegetarians since 2009. They later expanded to Bay View in early 2016 and to Brown Deer in 2022. Contact: info@corazonmilwaukee.com
About artist Jean Wells: Jean Wells, a professional potter for over 30 years, creates contemporary stoneware pottery featuring bold, graphic designs in her signature sgraffito style. Inspired by the natural world just outside her door, her imagery ranges from flowers and monkeys to undersea creatures and quirky robots. Contact: jean@jeansclaystudio.com
About Village of Brown Deer: Situated in the North Shore, The Village of Brown Deer encompasses an area of 4.5 square miles in northern Milwaukee County. Contact: tburkart@browndeerwi.gov or 414-371-3051
Media Coverage Links:
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Found! Searchers find medallion in Brown Deer's 2025 treasure hunt with $2,000 cash prize
CBS58 Milwaukee: Medallion hidden in Brown Deer found
