Kalmthout (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – In Nieuwmoer, Kalmthout, Sophie and Emily with their father Giel Verhaert won the holiday inflatable reindeer hunt organised by Kristel Wouters and Liesbeth Balemans, gaining a pampering prize.
As VRT News reported, in Nieuwmoer, a district of Kalmthout, in the province of Antwerp, Belgium, the search for the inflatable reindeer named Rudi has officially come to an end. On Saturday afternoon, Dec 3, 2025, Sophie and Emily arrived with their father, Giel Verhaert, to collect theprize of the local game. The family received a pampering package filled with treats and small gifts.
What happened in Nieuwmoer’s inflatable Reindeer hunt with Giel and family?
Giel Verhaert explained how they found the missing reindeer by chance while returning home from a New Year’s party. The family decided to take Rudi with them and place him in their garden.
The holiday game in Nieuwmoer grew far beyond its original plan. The initiative was set up by nieces Kristel Wouters and Liesbeth Balemans during the Christmas break. They wanted to encourage residents to go outside and stay active.
“I fell asleep for a moment, and some villagers were able to snatch Rudi away from us in the final hours of the game. But they were kind enough to put Rudi back in our front garden that morning. That’s very classy of them. It proves once again how cohesive Nieuwmoer is. This game has definitely fueled that sense of community,”
says Giel.
Officials mentioned that the response was much larger than expected. Many people joined the hunt for the inflatable reindeer Rudi, and the activity quickly spread beyond the local area. Attention from regional and national media followed.
“The biggest winners were all the people in Nieuwmoer who came out to look for and steal Rudi,”
Kristel adds.
“Even though that success ultimately meant we needed two inflatable reindeer. The first one quickly took quite a beating, so after a while, a new Rudi was needed. It also had a tracker, so we always knew where to find Rudi in Nieuwmoer.”
“After this incredible adventure, we can’t afford to sit idle. Initial plans are already underway,”
Kristel and Liesbeth conclude.
Before this, Belgium had similar projects where a gnome hunt took place in December 2022 in West Flanders that brought hundreds of people out looking for the gnomes that had been placed there. The other case was a missing bear, which went viral via various forms of social media and media coverage in early December 2023 and resulted in a series of daily clues starting the first week after its relocation.
