Annual Leprechaun Hunt To Bring Out Hundreds On Sunday
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Hundreds of people will descend on a property in the rolling countryside of northwest Indiana this weekend for the annual Leprechaun Hunt.
The 23rd annual Leprechaun Hunt will take place Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. at Sharing Meadows, a community of developmentally disabled adults in Rolling Prairie, Indiana.
Sharing Meadows president Father Dennis Blaney brought the idea for the hunt back from Ireland.
"The Leprechaun Hunt shows what the villagers, the handicapped, are doing out here," he said.
The event is Share Foundation's largest annual fundraiser. Thousands of people typically come out to search the 185 acres of Sharing Meadows for 33 hidden ceramic leprechauns.
"You know what 33 means? How old Christ was," Blaney said.
Those who find the leprechauns win cash prizes of $50 to $1,500. Blaney was out hiding the leprechauns this week.
"I was all scratched up afterwards," he said.
These days, the leprechauns have GPS. In the past, some leprechauns were found years later after they didn't turn up at previous hunts.
The fundraiser features hay rides, Irish bands, fishing, a barbecue, an obstacle course, and more.
"No one ever goes away sad. They always are happy," Blaney said.
The fundraiser accounts for more than 10 percent of Share Foundation's budget. For more information, click here.