MYSTERY MAN HIDES $100 BILLS AROUND SALEM, OREGON

A mystery philanthropist has been hiding $100 bills in and around Salem, Oregon, for more than three years. Nicknamed “Benny”, for the picture of Ben Franklin on the bill, he randomly hides the bills to be found at stores, markets, fairs and festivals, surprising and delighting unsuspecting shoppers and patrons. They know the bills are from the same person, because he signs his bills “Benny”. To date, he has hidden more than $50,000 worth of $100 bills in the Salem area. He has left them in 26 different stores, at eight different events, and in a handful of different neighborhoods. Bills have been found in everything from breakfast cereals to frozen entrees, and from mouse traps to feminine hygiene products. Sometimes they are not discovered until days or weeks later when retrieving something out of the pantry or cabinet. The money has helped people pay their electric bill, make their rent, buy their prescription medication, and even provide them shelter for a couple of nights. Slightly more than half of those who find a $100 bill report paying it forward, whether it be to their favorite non-profit or a stranger in need.
* Hmmm … Pokemoney.
* This is nice, but putting it in food products is a little creepy.
* Anybody remember something called “the Tylenol poisoning”?
* He put a hundred dollar bill in a mouse trap? That’s just mean.
* When you try to get the money out and the mouse trap breaks your finger, it’s going to cost more than a hundred bucks.
* If he wants to keep getting noticed during the Pokemon craze he better double the money.
* It’s too bad “Person of Interest” was cancelled – the Machine could find this guy in two minutes.
* Why are we so phony listing only good things people did with the extra hundred dollar bill?
* You know some of them said, “100 bucks? I’m going to score some drugs.”
* Or, “This is enough for a great hooker.”
* But no, all the reasons listed here are nice and fluffy culminating in the wonderful folks who paid the money forward. Give me a break!