Park ‘cash’ o’ the day
New Yorkers hunt tycoon’s treasure
A wealthy dogooder hid roughly $3,000 in envelopes in Manhattan and Brooklyn — prompting a mad dash for cash on Saturday.
Hundreds of moneyhungry New Yorkers flocked to Central Park and Prospect Park, lifting rocks and rooting under bushes to find the free dough, which was stuffed in a total of 59 envelopes.
“It’s fun, kind of like a scavenger hunt!” said Albert St. Vauldray, 30, of Dit mas Park, who found $50 next to a tree.
He planned to buy a homeless person a meal using some of the cash, he said.
“It is not a huge amount, but it gets people involved. And it is something you can use to help other people,” he said.
The white envelopes — most filled with $50 and a silver dollar, but some with $100 — were given away by the group Hidden Cash, headed by selfproclaimed philanthropist and realestate investor Jason Buzi.
The group stashed 40 en velopes in Central Park, by a pond near 59th Street and Fifth Avenue. In Prospect Park, it hid 19 envelopes along a trail near the park’s 15th Street entrance.
The group posted the locations of the money, along with clues, on Twitter as part of its “social experiment for good.”
Winners — who discovered the money under rocks and trees — were abuzz with excitement Saturday on social media, posting photos of themselves with their newfound riches.
“Thanks @HiddenCash! We’ll be sure to #Payitforward,” tweeted @stephbonilla.
The stunt was a perfect excuse for early Saturday date.
“I’m excited. It’s a great idea. It’s like a treasure hunt!” said Sharif Reed, 29, of Yonkers, who rushed to Central Park with his girlfriend on Saturday morning.
“This guy is giving back in a way — that’s really cool,” he said.
Some of the envelopes still hadn’t been found in both parks by Saturday afternoon, and the group tweeted there’s no to telling whether some of the money is still out there — so lucky New Yorkers may stumble on cash for weeks to come.