MELBOURNE, Fla. — A Melbourne man's trip to a coin-operated ice machine ended in an unusual discovery.
- Adam Woodworth finds 45th Space Wing "Challenge Coin"
- He thinks coin's owner was getting ice & it fell out of their pocket
- Woodworth wants to reunite the owner with their coin
Adam Woodworth runs Chez Quan's, a popular Melbourne spot for Thai and Latin food on Aurora Road.
The small kitchen is hopping during the lunch rush, and they don't have room for an ice machine.
"We need the ice. There's no feasible place for me to put an ice machine here," Woodworth told Spectrum News 13.
It means he or an employee has to make the daily two-mile trek to the standalone 'Twice the Ice' machine on Wickham Road.
Last Thursday as he grabbed a bag, he noticed something shiny on the ground below.
"I found the coin sitting on the ground," Woodworth said. "I instantly recognized it, because my mom got a whole bunch of these over the years working out at Patrick."
His mother worked as a civilian employee at Patrick Air Force Base. It's where the 45th Space Wing, the Sharks, is based, as well as where the coin originates — it's from the 45th Space Wing Safety Office.
"It was just sitting there, 'shark' side up,” he said.
Woodworth theorizes the coin's owner was getting ice and it fell out of their pocket.
"Maybe some vet, or retiree was up there," he said. "Or even a civilian employee, like my mom."
And if you believe in fate, it's amazing someone like Woodworth with lifelong knowledge of these “Challenge Coins” was the one to find it.
He posted about the coin on social media, and the coin photo and information is making the rounds.
Woodworth just hopes the special coin is reunited with its owner.
Challenge coins are common, bearing a military or police agency's emblem or insignia.
We called the 45th Space Wing this morning, and they are aware of this coin being found.