Sherry Whitesides says she was never tempted to keep the money

Apr 9, 2014 14:25 GMT  ·  By
Sherry Whitesides and her son took a quick selfie before turning the money in
   Sherry Whitesides and her son took a quick selfie before turning the money in

A South Carolina teacher will always have a valuable lesson to share with her students, as she recently set a good example for all people when she found $11,000 (€7,970) on the side of the road and turned the money over to police.

Sherry Whitesides and her 12-year-old son Alan were on their way to a baseball game when they suddenly noticed something flying out of the SUV in front of them. And given that the driver of the car didn’t stop to retrieve the item but continued on, the mother and son pulled over to see what it was, the Huffington Post informs.

They were stunned to discover that what flew through the air was a black Wells Fargo bag of money – exactly 114 $100 bills that totaled $11,400 (€8,260). The bank bag landed on the side of the road and the money scattered all over the place.

“I didn’t know it was money, I just saw it something falling, so my son and I pulled over and we got out,” the teacher said. “I looked down and saw all these $100 bills. But they were pink and blue, like the brand new ones, and my first thought was ‘This isn’t real.’”

Unsurprisingly, the boy immediately began thinking of what they could buy with the amount of cash that literally flew at them out of thin air, but the 48-year-old elementary school teacher said she was never tempted to keep the money. Her first thought was to return the money to the rightful owner.

“It was just the right thing to do. God put me in that situation for a reason,” Whitesides said.  

So, she acted upon her conscience and headed to the Clover Police Department to turn the money in, but not before taking a quick selfie with the wads of hundred-dollar bills to have a proof of the incredible experience.

Whitesides explains that it was rather easy to track down the owner of the money, as inside the bag there was a bank withdrawal slip and a man's driver's license.

Although they would have most likely gotten away with keeping the money, the woman says that returning the money was the only option for her, especially because she knew she had to be a role model to her son.

“I feel very richly blessed and it has nothing to do with my bank account,” the school teacher proudly said.

Sherry Whitesides has been teaching for 20 years now. She currently works at Cotton Belt Elementary School in York County.