Third-Grader Will Ride with K9 Officer Chris Hasz and K9 Steffi During Dairyfest Parade
Nine year-old Méav Shilton, a 3rd-grade student at Washington Elementary, will be riding in style during Marshfield’s annual Dairyfest Parade this Saturday. Méav is the winner of the Marshfield Police Department’s Golden Ticket Challenge.
In a collaboration with Main Street Marshfield, K9 Officer Chris Hasz hid the special ticket in a downtown business with the prize of being able to ride in the police squad.
“I just thought it would be a great idea to get kids involved in it. They are always excited when at the parade to wave at everyone. I thought it would be fun,” said Hasz. “We’re always trying to get people to come downtown. I thought it would be a cute way to get people to check out the shops. We worked with Main Street Marshfield and decided with them where to place it.”
Clues were left on the department’s Facebook page:
First Clue:
North of 9th & south of the tracks
Is a business which has our backs
The staff inside can help you with it
‘Cause they are the guardians of the Golden Ticket.
Second Clue:
If you ask at a store & and they look at you funny,
They don’t have the ticket, but you can still spend money,
To narrow down the store you want to see,
Find an avenue not named for a tree.
Méav’s mother, Kim Shilton, was scrolling Facebook yesterday when she saw the Marshfield Police Department’s post. “They always do a really good job on their posts, so it caught our attention that they were doing a contest for an 8-12 year-old,” she said. “My husband said, ‘Méav would love this.'”
The family began looking for the ticket last night, but didn’t have any luck.
“I wasn’t sure if it was a business that had banker’s hours or was open in the evening. Last night, we actually went to a couple of places and either it wasn’t in the place, or they were closed,” she said. “When they put out the second clue today, I started thinking where it could be. I went to 6-8 different businesses and kept getting the ‘crazy lady look.'”
After arriving at Marshfield Mercantile, Kim told owner Kelly, “This is for the love of my daughter. Do you happen to have the golden ticket?”
Luckily, she did. The search was over. Kim came back with Méav after school so her daughter could answer the trivia question, which was: “In 1933, this man gave his all for his Marshfield community.”
Méav, having recently studied Marshfield history at school, didn’t hesitate with the answer: Fred Beell. “She then gave me all the details on Fred Beell,” said Kim. “She had just visited his tombstone. I got a history lesson from her – it was really neat.”
Méav was given a stuffed K9 Steffi doll from Mercantile co-owner Sean Stonham along with her golden ticket, and is now counting down the days to Saturday when she will get to ride in the police squad with Officer Hasz and his K9 Steffi.
“She’s excited,” said Kim. “She thinks German Shepherds are awesome.”
“I’m sure she’ll be sounding the siren a couple of times,” said Hasz. “I wish Steffi could drive, but unfortunately she doesn’t have the thumbs. Unfortunately, I have to be the chauffeur!”
“We’re just glad that we could be the ones to hold the golden ticket,” said Kelly. “That was really nice.”
