A Michigan woman is being lauded for having a potentially life-changing amount of money very nearly literally fall into her lap, only to help return it, completely untouched, back to its owners.
What followed is almost unbelievable.
Dianne Gordon walks to work every day to her job in White Lake Township, on the outskirts of Detroit, according to WJBK-TV. It’s about 2.7 miles, and she does it in all sorts of weather because she doesn’t own a car.
After her shift on Jan. 21, she noticed something incredibly strange as she stopped at a BP gas station for a snack.
“I looked down on the ground and found a plastic bag with a large sum of money in it,” she told the TV station. “When you turned it over, there was even more money.”
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She didn’t know it at the time, but what she was referring to as a “large sum of money” was $14,780 worth of cash. There were also reportedly wedding cards from a ceremony that had taken place that day.
As awesome as it would be to keep that money, Gordon knew it wasn’t hers.
“This doesn’t belong to me, I need to call a police officer,” she said.
Would most people do the right thing?
Yes: 58% (53 Votes)
No: 42% (38 Votes)
White Lake police Lt. Matthew Ivory said of the incident, “It never really crossed her mind to do anything other than turn it over,” he told WJBK.
“It was a young couple who had just got married that day. It belonged to them,” he said.
Police were able to return the money to its rightful owners.
That’s not where the story ends, however.
A police officer’s wife set up a GoFundMe to help Gordon, because, as Ivory said, “The world could probably use a few more Diannes.”
That GoFundMe has since exploded.
“On January 21, 2023 at approximately 1745 hours, police were dispatched to the BP Gas Station near Pontiac Lake Rd in White Lake Township,” the GoFundMe, simply titled “Dianne Gordon,” said.
“Police were meeting with citizen, Dianne Gordon who reported she found a bag of money and wanted to turn it in to the police. Officers arrived at the BP and met with her. Dianne lives in the White Lake Mobile Home Community and was walking home from work at VC’s Fresh Marketplace in Waterford, 2.5 miles away. Ms. Gordon advised that she was walking into the BP to warm up from the cold and snow, when she found a Ziplock bag on the ground. She picked up the bag and was shocked to find it filled with cash.
“Gordon went inside, notified the cashier, and immediately called the White Lake Police. She turned the bag over to police and never opened it (even though she could clearly see a large amount of cash inside). Dianne does not have a vehicle, and walks back and forth to VC’s daily, regardless of the Michigan elements, where she works in the deli. She self admittedly ‘needed the money’ and ‘it would be life-changing’ for her, but that she didn’t think twice about not turning it in.
“There ultimately was found to be $14,780 along with wedding cards in the bag which were the gifts of a newly married couple that day.
“Dianne is a perfect example of integrity and selflessness even in her own time of need. We will be working with Szott Automotive to get Dianne a vehicle with the funds raised.”
When Gordon turned that money in, it’s highly unlikely that she anticipated anything other than maybe a small finder’s fee.
She got a whole lot more than that. By Wednesday evening, the GoFundMe total was over $28,000.
That’s right. She actually made money by giving nearly $15,000 away.
Let’s be real for a moment. People are selfish. Many have an awful tendency to approach a situation with a “What’s in it for me?” mentality.
That’s why it’s so gratifying to see a situation like this. A woman’s character is tested. She aces that test. People notice, and Gordon gets to reap the reward.
It doesn’t get too much better than that.
