MOUNT HOPE, WV (LOOTPRESS) – During the Mount Hope Christmas Parade, former Minnesota Vikings and Super Bowl IV player Lonnie Warwick lost his prized Super Bowl ring, only for it to be miraculously found by a young boy named Hunter on the sidewalk.
Mount Hope Mayor Mike Kessinger shared the extraordinary story, calling it a true Christmas Miracle.
During the parade, Warwick, who served as the grand marshal, threw out candy, including his own Super Bowl ring after it slipped off of his finger.
The ring was swiftly discovered missing, prompting a thorough search by local authorities in the vicinity of the old pharmacy where the parade began.
Despite their efforts, the ring seemed lost.
However, the holiday miracle occurred when Brian Helton, a candidate for Senate who was in the parade, received a surprising message. A man named Ernest Gardner, also known as “Hammer” informed Helton that his son Hunter had found a ring, thinking it was a giveaway.
Upon closer inspection, Gardner realized it was Warwick’s Super Bowl ring and set out to return it.
Gardner recounted the moment when his son excitedly brought him the ring, initially thinking it was a toy.
“We went to the parade, and they started throwing candy out and my son was picking up candy and he came to me and said “look they’re throwing rings out,” Gardner said.
Gardner told his son Hunter to hold on to the ring not realizing what he possessed.
“Just after the parade was about over with he brought the ring to my wife, and she said, this looks like a class ring.”
Gardner then inspected the ring.
Recognizing its weight and suspecting its importance, Gardner eventually identified it as a Super Bowl ring, belonging to Lonnie Warwick, former player for the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV.
Before Brian Helton notified Mayor Mike Kessinger of the discovery, Kessinger and other officials were busy searching the streets of Mount Hope.
“I went down there, the Chief went down there. We searched everywhere we could and went back and searched the car,” Kessinger said.
While searching, the situation took a brighter turn following the phone call to Mayor Kessinger from Brian Helton.
“Before I could tell [Brian] that Lonnie had lost his dream, [Brian] said this guy’s got his ring, he just texted me.”
Lonnie Warwick, deeply moved by the recovery of his cherished ring, expressed gratitude to the Gardner family and the Mount Hope community.
Warwick thanked the Gardners and sent them home with memorabilia signed by the man himself.
Gardner believes that it was meant to be for them to discover Warwick’s ring.
“Hunter along with myself and wife feel that God put us in the right place at the right time for Hunter to find the ring to be able to return it to the owner,” Gardner explained. “We are all just very happy that Hunter was able to help get a very treasured possession back to Lonnie.”