Honest Woman Returns $15,000 and Receives Four Times the Amount as a Reward
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, but when life gives you a $15,000 check, it’s wise to give it back. That’s exactly what one kind-hearted woman did after stumbling across a wad of cash on her way to work. Diane Gordon, a Michigan resident, had been experiencing car trouble and had been walking a total of six miles to and from work five times a week. But good fortune smiled on her when she performed an act of kindness.
On January 21 this year, on her way home from work, she stopped at a gas station for a snack. While there, she noticed something on the ground — a plastic bag stuffed with a significant amount of cash, $14,780 to be exact. Diane Gordon, a grandmother of two, told the news station that when she turned it over, she noticed there was even more money inside.
Without hesitation, she immediately realized that the money did not belong to her and that she needed to contact the police. «This doesn’t belong to me. I must call an officer,» she recalled saying to herself when she discovered the large sum of money.
The officers were able to quickly locate the rightful owner of the money. Upon investigation, the officers found wedding cards with names on them, which helped them return the money to the couple, who had tied the knot earlier that day. Chief Dan Keller of the White Lake Township Police Department told the Washington Post, «She didn’t hesitate; she didn’t question it. It’s not very often that someone comes across a large sum of money and willingly turns it in.»
Although the 65-year-old Diane Gordon felt she had done nothing extraordinary by returning the money, she told the Post that she had only given back something that didn’t belong to her. However, there was one person who saw her act of kindness as something extraordinary: Stacy Connell, the wife of the police officer who answered Gordon’s call.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the GoFundMe campaign set up by Connell had raised a staggering $66,000 for Gordon. This generous sum was enough to buy her a new green Jeep Compass from the local Szott Auto Group. In an interview with People magazine, Gordon expressed her excitement and gratitude after receiving the car. She was thrilled to finally have access to luxuries like a steering wheel warmer and a backup camera. She also plans to offer rides to her co-workers to repay the kindness shown to her.
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