Vince Hietpas was taking a stroll with his dad, Lorenzo, on Memorial Day. The two residents of Green Bay, Wisconsin, walked through the city’s Voyageur Park. What they found there and, more importantly, what happened next, has locals and the internet alike buzzing about the 11-year-old boy and his father.
Vince and Lorenzo came across a wallet on the ground. The two could have easily kept the wallet with no one’s knowledge. Instead, they found the address on the owner’s driver’s license and headed to his home. The owner, 17-year-old Chase Dahlke, mentioned that he’d lost the wallet while fishing and had written it off as gone for good.
According to Good Morning America, when the Hietpas arrived at the Dahlkes’ home, the family was visiting a nearby neighbor across the street. They saw the duo on their Ring doorbell’s camera. They listened in shock as Vince told them about the billfold they’d found. Chase’s father, Jason, hurried home to retrieve the found item. He wanted to reward Vince for his honesty and effort, but his teenaged son’s wallet only contained two dollars. The pre-teen was happy with his reward.
When Chase’s stepmom, Michelle, heard about the boy’s act of kindness, she wanted to do much more to thank him than offer a couple of dollars. She posted a message on Facebook asking if anyone knew Vince. In her post, Michelle expressed gratitude for Vince’s and Lorenzo’s act during a time of so much negativity. Green Bay Facebook members helped connect the Hietpases and Dahlkes once again.
The return of Chase’s wallet took on new meaning when the Dahlkes learned of Lorenzo’s recent troubles. The meatpacking plant employee had contracted Covid-19. He couldn’t wear PPE during recovery due to breathing problems, so he wasn’t able to work at the plant. He did find odd jobs here and there, but his income fell far short of what he would have earned as a meatpacker.
Lorenzo’s income loss was wreaking havoc on the family’s finances. Learning of Lorenzo’s economic issues made Michelle want to do more–much more. She created a GoFundMe campaign and updated her original Facebook post to include a plea for donations. The community responded by giving over $9000 to the Hietpas family.
Vince and Lorenzo’s Memorial Day walk turned into an event that inspired the community and the rest of the online world. Green Bay citizens responded in kind by donating thousands of dollars to help the family through these tough times. The Hietpas and Dahlke families were both rewarded—the former through financial means and the latter by having their faith in humanity restored.
