SHAMOKIN - Once again, Mystery Inc. solved the case.
A group dressed as Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and the rest of the cartoon gang won the inaugural Grave Robbers Run event in Shamokin Saturday afternoon.
Kelly Bendas, her children, Valerie and Joey, nephew, Steven Lynch, and family friend, Brett Venna, brought home the $200 prize after being the first group to find the "missing head" and bring it back to the starting point.
"This was a great event," said Kelly Bendas, dressed as the book-smart Velma. "I wanted the family to do something together for my birthday. Winning was a great bonus."
At noon, five teams left the Claude Kehler Community Park in search of a replica version of a human head in a new twist of the reality television series, "The Amazing Race." Teams had to travel, either by vehicle or on foot, to various locations in the city to receive the next clue.
At the end, teams were directed to one of three locations where they had to arrive and then dig up the head and bring it back to the starting point.
"We found ours near the Eagle Silk Mill," Bendas said. "We moved a tree limb and there it was, just waiting to be dug up."
The run was based on a local legend that developed when a severed head was found in the Coal Run area just after the turn of the 20th Century. After remaining in the possession of a local funeral home for roughly 70 years, the head was put on public display.
When Peter Krehel, then president judge of Northumberland County Court, saw the head, he was appalled and ordered it buried. A legal battle ensued, but in February 1977, seven months after the judge came upon the head and three months after his controversial order, a local historical society that had obtained it relented and agreed to have the head buried in an undisclosed location.
Coming in second was the team, "The Vats," consisting of Angela Golfieri, Sandy Wayne, Vicki Burt-Jones, and Traci Beck, who won a $100 prize.
"It was an exhausting run, but a lot of fun," Burt-Jones said. "It was a wonderful time, and now we are going to celebrate with ice cream."
Organizers and contestants, along with many others, were set for a celebration, the Grave Robbers Costume Ball, that was held Saturday evening at the Independence Fire Company.
Matt Losiewicz, of Coal City Revitalization Inc., the community group sponsoring the event, was happy with the turnout.
"For the short amount of time we had in putting it together, I thought things went very well," he said. "We've received a good amount of support from the community and will have a decent amount of people for the party."
In addition to Saturday's events, Coal City Revitalization Inc. will sponsor a Zombie Run Saturday.
"In the future, we want to take Halloween and say that it's our time for this area to shine," Losiewicz said. The group also hopes to sponsor some cleanups.
Proceeds from Coal City's events will go to local causes.
"We will take the proceeds from today's events and donate them to the Shamokin Community Center project," Losiewicz said. "For next week's Zombie Run, we will split the proceeds, giving part of the money to the Shamokin Cemetery and the rest to next year's 150th Anniversary Celebration in Shamokin."