Oregon radio station behind mystery cash prizes in grocery stores

Sep 27, 2013, 11:54 am (12 comments)

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People thought it was a local lotto winner

The mystery surrounding a series of $100 bills recently tucked into items at grocery stores in Oregon has been solved. Turns out, the good deeds were the work of a Portland radio station trying to drum up publicity and spread some good fortune.

Despite speculation that the mystery donor was an unidentified local lottery winner, on Wednesday, The New 98.7 The Bull (KUPL) announced that it was responsible for mysterious windfalls occurring around Oregon and Southwest Washington — although no one from the station would specify which stores were included in the treasure hunt. "We are everywhere and encouraging others to pay it forward and do the same," the station's music director "B-Dub" wrote in an email to Yahoo Shine.

Over the past week, 12 shoppers at a Fred Meyer grocery store on Southeast Commercial Street in Salem were delighted to find $100 bills stuffed inside egg cartons, ice cream containers, and other random grocery items over the past few weeks. Walmart customers have also had similar experiences.

"We can confirm that there have been 12 different customers who have found $100 bills in our store. Upon finding the money, they've all alerted a store clerk and have been allowed to keep the money," Melinda Merrill, the director of publicity at Kroger, the company that owns Fred Meyer, told Yahoo Shine. "It's a wonderful thing."

Shopper Jennifer Smith-Poelz got lucky in the frozen aisle, finding her fortune inside an ice cream container. "I just think this is the coolest thing ever," she told Portland, Oregon, local news station KGW. "Whoever is doing this has brightened so many people's days. I wish I had ample amounts of cash to be able to surprise people like this. I mean, it's fabulous."

Phil (no last name was provided) told KGW that he experienced a double windfall, finding a $100 bill each inside two cookie boxes, while shopping at Walmart. "I opened it up and a $100 bill fell out, just like that," he said. Phil continued searching the shelves and hit the jackpot again: "There were three boxes left, and l turned them over and lo and behold, there was another $100 bill." The timing was impeccable. He is racking up huge gas bills driving to and from a hospital in Portland every day to visit his girlfriend, who is suffering from renal failure.

The radio station says the contest will continue for the next five weeks so there are sure to be more lucky people finding hidden bills in unlikely places.

Yahoo Shine

Comments

LottoGuyBC's avatarLottoGuyBC

Hope to find some $100s around Cheers

RJOh's avatarRJOh

I like free money too but I doubt if I would start listening to any particular radio station because of it.

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Im going to the grocery storeBig Grin I do miss shopping at Fred MeyerSad

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

What a wonderful and an amazing Good Samaritan Like hidden angels Blue Angel that walk upon this earth GENEROSITY, & Kindness is what we need more of in this world and to encourage others to give back like Pass It On & Pay it Forward.

Acts of love, kindness & joy Love

HoLeeKau's avatarHoLeeKau

Maybe I'm jaded,  but who really knows if the radio station put the money there, or if they decided to take credit when the real food fairy didn't step forward?

billionaire2bee

Neat idea...but on the downside what if people just start going to the stores and opening boxes and containers hoping to pull out some cash and just leaving the opened boxes on the shelves when they find or dont find something

sully16's avatarsully16

Very nice

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by billionaire2bee on Sep 27, 2013

Neat idea...but on the downside what if people just start going to the stores and opening boxes and containers hoping to pull out some cash and just leaving the opened boxes on the shelves when they find or dont find something

i hope notGreen laugh

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by sully16 on Sep 27, 2013

Very nice

I Agree!

helpmewin's avatarhelpmewin

Quote: Originally posted by dallascowboyfan on Sep 27, 2013

Im going to the grocery storeBig Grin I do miss shopping at Fred MeyerSad

Green laugh

beaudad's avatarbeaudad

Most Radio stations don't pay their employees very much money......(near minimum wage)......I Think it would be nice if they gave their employees 200 bucks each.....wow wouldn't that be a promotion.......!!!!!!!!!!!!....     Al  Thumbs Up

jamella724

This is really cool. I hope someone will do the same thing here, definitely it will brighten my day too! I hope they will continue doing this. It will make a lot of people happy to find a blessing from someone. It will also encourage the recipient to do the same to others.

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