Dianne Gordon’s car broke down about a year ago, and ever since, she’s been walking 2.7 miles each way to and from work, five days a week. Her car couldn’t be fixed, and Gordon, 65, couldn’t afford to buy a new one.
Gordon’s regular walks are usually uneventful. However, on 21 January, she spotted something unexpected: A Ziploc bag, filled with $14,780.
She knew the money would be life-changing for her, but she refrained from keeping it for herself. “I just looked at it, and I knew it wasn’t mine,” Gordon said. “I knew what I needed to do.” So, she walked to the nearest gas station and called the police.
An officer arrived shortly after she called and took possession of the bag of cash. “This doesn’t happen very often, that someone finds a large sum of money and turns it in,” said Police Chief Dan Keller.
Within two hours, the police called Gordon to let her know that they had tracked down the people who the money belonged to. It was a young couple who had gotten married earlier that day.
Stacy Connell, whose husband was the police officer that responded to the initial call, was touched by Gordon’s act and set up a GoFundMe page for her.
In less than one week, more than $60,000 has been donated from strangers near and far. The GoFundMe page is filled with comments, many of which echo similar sentiments, such as, “there are still good people in this world,” and “it is a rare story of kindness.”
Gordon said she is stunned by the outpouring of generosity. However, one good deed, as they say, deserves another!