A Michigan community has rewarded a local grandmother, who used to walk to work every day, with a brand new Jeep after the woman was hailed as a hero for returning $15,000 in cash she found in a gas station parking lot.
“She’s literally one of the nicest people I’ve ever met, and if anyone deserves it, it’s her,” Szott Chrysler Jeep’s Jeff Schneider told Fox 2 of White Lake Township grandmother Dianne Gordon.
Gordon, 65, had not had a car for about a year after his broke down, and he walked about three miles to and from work every day at VC Fresh Marketplace.
Last month, while making a quick stop at a BP gas station for snacks, he found a bag containing nearly $15,000 in cash, according to Fox 2 Detroit.
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Michigan grandmother Dianne Gordon with her new Jeep. (Fox 2 Detroit)
“I looked down and found a plastic bag with a large sum of money in it,” he told the outlet. “When you handed it over, there was even more money.”
“I was taught that if it doesn’t belong to you, you don’t keep it,” Gordon added, explaining how he immediately called the police about the cash.
The White Lake Police Department responded to investigate and discovered more than $14,700 in cash, which was accompanied by wedding cards.
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“Inside the bag were also wedding cards, these were gifts from a wedding that occurred that day,” Lt. Matthew Ivory said. “I think it was $14,780 in cash.”
BP gas station where Michigan woman Dianne Gordon found a bag of cash. (Fox 2 Detroit)
The police were able to return the money to the newlyweds, but the community also wanted to thank Gordon for his good deed.
“It never crossed his mind to do anything other than turn it around,” Ivory added of Gordon.
Sergeant Brad Connell told Fox News Digital that he took the original call when Gordon reported the bag of money.
“This was truly one of those calls where I saw the best in people. When Dianne told me that she walks 2.7 miles to work each way, 5 days a week, I told her I would drive her any chance I could. Connell said. “Then when I talked to my wife about it, we knew we could try to do more for her. We talked to the Chief and got permission to start Go Fund Me.”
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“As the wife of a police officer, I normally hear bad things, so this was obviously moving,” Connell’s wife, Stacy Connel, told the Washington Post. “She was hoping we could help her get a car, since she could have walked into any dealership and used that money.”
Dianne Gordon talks to Fox 2 after taking delivery of her new Jeep. (FOX 2)
Earlier this week, Gordon was able to get a new Jeep after roughly $67,000 was raised through Connell’s effort, though GoFundMe has continued to grow and stands at more than $82,000 as of Thursday.
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“I got a call from Fox 2 and then an officer came up to me and told me about the GoFundMe and I was in shock,” he told Fox 2.
In addition to driving to work, Gordon said she’s excited to be able to attend her grandchildren’s sporting events.
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“I never expected anything like this,” Gordon added to the Washington Post. “I’m overwhelmed. I was just doing what I was taught to do.”
Sgt Connell added that “Dianne has already started paying and has given a number of local residents no ride, ride to work or the store.”
“The world really needs more Dianne Gordons. In the couple of weeks I’ve known Dianne, I’ve discovered that she lives every day to make tomorrow better than today. If everyone had Dianne’s perspective on life, the world would be a much better place,” he added.
