Summit Rock found

ST. GEORGE – After nine daily clues and one bonus clue, the Summit Rock was found by St. George resident Westton Anderson on Friday at approximately 10:35 a.m.

The rock, which was hidden in Washington County by Summit Athletic Club owner Joe Levine, was worth $5,000 or $10,000 to the person who found it, depending on whether or not they were members of Summit Athletic Club.

Anderson is not a member of the gym, so he won the lesser amount but was also awarded free membership for himself and his wife, Cheri, and their children, Dallen, 4, and Lydia, 2.

Westton Anderson is $5,000 richer after he found the Summit Rock, St. George, Utah, June 6, 2014 | Photo provided by Summit Athletic Club Facebook page, St. George News
Westton Anderson is $5,000 richer after he found the Summit Rock, St. George, Utah, June 6, 2014 | Photo provided by Summit Athletic Club Facebook page, St. George News

You could say that Anderson fell into his winnings.

“I was looking for the rock and I fell into a bush and got my foot stuck,” he said. “I saw a rock that looked similar to the Summit Rock and figured it probably wasn’t but I flipped it over anyway, and that was the rock.”

Anderson was searching an empty lot across the street and down from the new Dairy Queen, next to the Sunbrook Golf Course, when he tripped and fell. The rock was next to the river’s edge, which explains the clue stating the rock was “on Riverside.”

Anderson tried using his phone to call the required number, but his phone shut off in the middle of the call.  Since he was stuck, he yelled over to his buddy and used his phone to call in.

A good samaritan picks up trash along the trail as he looks for the Summit Rock, St. George, Utah, June 4, 2014 | Photo provided by Summit Athletic Club Facebook page, St. George News
A good samaritan picks up trash along the trail as he looks for the Summit Rock, St. George, Utah, June 4, 2014 | Photo provided by Summit Athletic Club Facebook page, St. George News

Thanks to social media, Anderson became pretty popular right away.

“I’ve been hearing from people I haven’t heard from in years,” he said.

The idea for hiding the rock and encouraging others to look for it was hatched by Shelli and Joe Levine last year. They sponsored a similar search in 2013 and mapped out a hiding place, which happened to be right across the river from the Summit Athletic Club’s original location, off of River Road in St. George.

Last year’s event drew a lot of people. But the response this year was overwhelming.

Moms pushing strollers, men in their dress shirts and ties and groups of young people could be seen all along River Road and Dixie Drive, roads near the two locations of the gyms, searching for the rock.

People used their cell phones to read, reread or listen to clues they’d recorded from one of five Canyon Media radio stations that announced the daily clues.

Anderson said he enjoyed taking his son Dallen out to hunt for the rock.  He had some good father and son time, he said. But he realized that if he was going to get serious about finding the rock, he would have to cover some difficult terrain.

One of the $50 bills hidden by Summit Athletic Club, found by a lucky searcher, St. George, Utah, June 4, 2014 | Photo provided by Summit Athletic Club Facebook page, St. George News
One of the $50 bills hidden by Summit Athletic Club, found by a lucky searcher, St. George, Utah, June 4, 2014 | Photo provided by Summit Athletic Club Facebook page, St. George News

Besides the rock, there were several $50 bills hidden around the community. They were found taped to fire hydrants, under tables, on electrical boxes and storefront windows.

“At Summit, we wanted to get people active and create a memory,” Joe Levine said.

The search for this year’s rock did create some problems for local businesses as seekers walked through private property and monopolized business parking trying to get a shot at finding the rock.

“Next year, we will work tighter with the city and local business owners,” Joe Levine said.

People were also seen helping the community during their hunts for the rock by picking up trash along bike paths and streams.

Anderson said he is not sure yet what he will do with the money. He didn’t expect to find the rock so he didn’t really think about what to spend it on.  For now, he said the money will go into savings.

Dallen, however, knows exactly what he wants to do with the money:  He wants his dad to buy a boat.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2014, all rights reserved.

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5 Comments

  • Real Life June 6, 2014 at 11:06 pm

    This is an awesome contest, and a great way for them to advertise.

  • JOSH DALTON June 7, 2014 at 8:19 am

    Nobody works for a living in Saint George anymore…

  • Rockchuck June 7, 2014 at 11:15 am

    I think this went on way too long. The good news…. All the white trash without jobs looking for free money besides the Public assistance they get were off the roads so my commute was faster! Thought it was great advertising until seeing the total lack of respect for private property as they trashed businesses landscaping. Hope those businesses send a bill to Summit.

  • Jared June 7, 2014 at 4:11 pm

    Wow, maybe you are white trash and your mad cause you didn’t find it. That’s pretty disrespectful. It’s fun to go out and look for treasure. An it brings the community together. It bugs me that you are so down on yourself that it makes you feel better to talk bad about other people. Not to mention I was out there with buisness owners having fun an cleaning up the area so we can try and make your life a little more pretty. I’m sorry you didn’t find the rock an am sorry your life is so miserable jerk

  • Mark June 9, 2014 at 10:55 am

    I wasnt looking for the rock. Didnt even know about it until 4 days into it. And my self esteem is fabulous.And lets be honest…. there were entire families of fat white trash out there- my point…. good advertising but it went on too long. And those people were acting like rude savages looking through private property.

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