Duyser said that she made the sandwich 10-years-ago and when she went to eat the second half she discovered the image of the Virgin Mary on the grilled surface.  She preserved the sandwich, which she says has brought her luck, and then decided earlier this month to sell it on eBay. 

The sandwich received immediate attention from the international press and eBay, thinking that it was a joke, pulled the item from their site. Once Duyser convinced the online auction company that the auction was real, they relented and allowed her to relist it.  GoldenPalace.com placed the winning bid and when the auction closed on Monday, became the new owners of the cheesy relic. 

In a Reuters story about the auction, the online casino's chief executive, Richard Rowe, reportedly said that the casino plans to use the sandwich to raise money for charity.  The casino was quick to hop on the merch bandwagon and placed several t-shirts bearing a picture of the sandwich and the company's logo on their website for sale. 

"We believe that everyone should be able to see it and learn of its mystical power for themselves," Rowe said.

If that wasn't enough, Miami Herald columnist Jim DeFede says that he has offered to transfer the sandwich to the new owners via a roadtrip tour that will take DeFede across the country to the ultimate destination, Las Vegas.  DeFede announced the journey in a column on Thursday for the Herald and set up a blog site so the curious could keep tabs on the tour. 

Writing on his "Follow the Cheese" blog, DeFede tells of his family's reaction to his epic journey: 

"Are you insane?" my sister said laughing when I told he what I would be doing. "You are going to  drive to Las Vegas with a grilled  cheese sandwich?"

"It's not just any grilled cheese sandwich," I said. "It's the Virgin Mary Grilled Cheese Sandwich. It's special."

Special, indeed!  If you want to follow the cheese, here is a link to DeFede's blog. 

Previous related story: Our Lady of Cheese: Virgin Mary Sandwich eBay Hit