Five questions for the McKee Family: The Nevada Day Treasure Hunt's newest leaders
Submitted by Kelsey Penrose on Tue, 11/16/2021 - 11:03am
This year's Nevada Day Treasure Hunt was the best yet, if you ask me, but it was also the last year that the Mahe family, who took over the hunt in 2015, hosted the month-long hunt.
Thankfully, the hunt will be continuing next year, with a new family at the helm: the McKees.
After several contenders spoke about taking it over, one family stood out and was chosen to continue this wonderful community tradition for years to come.
Paul McKee and his family sat down to answer five questions about their lives, the treasure hunt, and more!
Can you tell me a bit about your background?
Paul and Roxy McKee, along with their three daughters, Michele McKee Montoya, Teresa McKee, and Angela McKee Flora, moved to Carson City from Montana in 1984. All three sisters settled in the Reno area and raised their families. Their kids who are still living in Nevada are Eric Cachinero and his wife, Jillian, Julia McKee, and Jarod and Alycia Flora. They will round out the McKee Treasure Hunt team.
What has your involvement been with the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt in the past?
The McKee family members have been avid hunters of the medallion for many years. Every year we think, “This is the year we are going to find it!” Every October we set up a family Treasure Hunt text group and whoever wakes up earliest texts the clue to the rest of us, and we all start trying to solve the riddles. A few of our more zealous family members may have skipped out of a day of work here and there to search for it, and weekends were always dedicated to looking for it as well. For the past 3 years we have come within sight of the medallion, but have never actually found the treasure.
Why did you want to take over the treasure hunt?
We are avid Nevada History buffs and outdoors enthusiasts. We were greatly saddened when we heard the Mahe family was not returning in 2022. Our combined type-A personalities and backgrounds led us to our interest in taking over the hunt, and it took only a short conversation to determine that collectively we would love to have the opportunity to take on this challenge. We are excited to encourage people to get outside to enjoy our beautiful state while learning some interesting facts and history about our great state.
Do you have any plans for changing the hunt in any way, offering new prizes, or extended counties?
For at least the first year, we don’t plan to make any significant changes to the Treasure Hunt. Of course, we have new authors for the clues and a different range of knowledge than the Mahe family, but we hope to maintain the same quality clues and the same prizes as the preceding few years. As we learn and grow from our experiences with our first few years, we will adapt and change to ensure an outstanding experience for the treasure hunters.
Anything else you'd like to add that I didn't ask?
We want to thank the Mahe Family and the Olson Family (who started the Treasure Hunt), for carrying on this fall tradition in honor of the history and magnificence of the State of Nevada for the last 20 years of the hunt. Thank you also to the incredible sponsors that make it all possible! We also want to thank all the hunters and finders of the past and invite them to participate in the 2022 Nevada Day Treasure Hunt.
To learn more about the Nevada Day Treasure Hunt, you can visit http://www.nvdaytreasurehunt.com/
