Fans of the television show “Survivor” gathered at the Brown Line’s Kimball station in Albany Park on Saturday as part of a nationwide scavenger hunt celebrating the program’s 50th season. The event, called the “Survivor 50” challenge, tasks participants in all 50 states with finding hidden immunity idols based on clues provided online. Those who locate an idol can enter a sweepstakes for a chance to attend the season finale in Los Angeles on May 20.
Last week, organizers posted a clue hinting that Illinois’ idol would be somewhere along the Brown Line. The clue referenced Chicago’s elevated trains and suggested searching along the route formerly known as Ravenswood.
By Saturday morning, fans learned via social media that two CTA train cars decorated with “Survivor”-themed advertisements were stationed near Kimball. Liz Braun, a longtime fan from Norwood Park, said she quickly made her way to Kimball after reading about it online. “Oh, wow. We’ve got to hurry up and go to Kimball,” Braun said. “We saw a parking spot right out front and went in. One of the people at the station was like, ‘Are you here for the ‘Survivor’ thing?’ … We ran up the stairs, and there was the train just pulling in.”
Inside, fans found memorabilia such as tropical decorations and a cardboard cutout of host Jeff Probst. Photos and videos shared online showed crowded train cars filled with fans from across different states.
“I met people from as far away as Colorado,” Braun said. “People were freaking out about how crowded it was in these two cars. My partner and I were like, ‘You guys are clearly not from Chicago.’”
Braun took a photo with the immunity idol and registered for the sweepstakes through a CBS representative at the scene. Only one person from Illinois will be selected to attend the finale.
For Braun, participating was more about enjoying an unusual activity than winning: “It was so worth it, just a fun little side-quest to do on a Saturday,” she said. “You don’t get to see the idols close-up, it was really neat.”
She also met Sifu Alsup, an O’Fallon native who appeared on season 45 of “Survivor.” Alsup became known during his season for his determination to find hidden immunity idols early on.
“Someone told us, ‘Oh my god, Sifu is here,’” Braun said. “He was just casually walking around the Kimball station with his survivor torch. He told us that the show lets everyone keep their torch, which I thought was so cool.”
Braun first became interested in “Survivor” when its initial season aired in 2000 while she attended Resurrection College Prep High School. She still watches regularly but describes herself as less dedicated than before.
“I’m not going to go travel states, and I’m not great about remembering all the people who were on it,” she said. “But I still watch it pretty regularly. Like it is definitely, you know, a thing that we watch every week, and I’ve watched it throughout all these years.”
