Everyday heroes: Aina rode his bike three miles to return a lost wallet, and his kindness came back full circle
When 22-year- old grocery store security guard Aina Townsend found a wallet while at work, he decided to return it himself— biking three miles to do so. Soon, his kindness came full circle!
Finishing his shift at the local grocery store in Kahului, Hawaii, security guard Aina Townsend spotted a wallet left behind in a grocery cart and sighed.
Having worked at the grocery store for a while, Aina knew that lost items turned in to the store’s customer service rarely made their way back to their owners. I really should return this, he thought, flipping open the wallet to find the owner’s ID. Noting the address, he thought, Their house is only a little bit out of my way. I’ ll just ride by and drop it off.
A three-mile bike ride later, Aina knocked on the door of Chloe Marino, who answered with her husband, Gray.
“Hi!” Aina grinned. “I found your wallet at Foodland and wanted to return it.”
Taking the wallet in hand,
Chloe was speechless. Caught up in the busyness of the day with her baby strapped to her chest, she hadn’t even realized she’d lost it. As she stood stunned, Gray noticed Aina’s bike. “Wait— did you bike here to return this to us?”
As Aina nodded, Chloe couldn’t contain her gratitude. “We’re leaving for a trip tomorrow,” she explained, happily. “Without my wallet, I couldn’t get on the flight…you saved us!”
Touched by Aina’s act, Gray took to social media to express his thanks and before he knew it, his message had gone viral.
Aina’s kind act also touched Gray’s business partner, Greg Gaudet, who wrote to him with a genius way to thank the young man. What do you think about starting a Gofundme to raise money to buy Aina a car?
That’s a great idea! Gray typed back.
As word of Aina’s kindness spread, donations poured in, racking up over $ 25,000. And when the day came to tell Aina, Gray was overjoyed to share the news.
“We want to buy you a car with it!” Gray told Aina.
“I just got my license last month!” he said through tears. After years of only having his bike to transport him, Aina would finally have a car of his own. “This is such a blessing!”
The blessings only continued as he began receiving messages on social media.
There’s so much negativity in the world, and you restored my hope! one stranger wrote.
Gray and Chloe also received messages explaining how the story sparked a chain reaction of kindness.
It inspired me to buy lunch for a stranger! one person commented.
“It was just one act of kindness, but it brought such brightness to a dark world!” Chloe smiles.
“Pono is a Hawaiian word that means doing the right thing when no one is looking,” Gray says. “That’s what Aina did— and the ripple effect is amazing!”
For Aina, nothing could make him happier. “We have to be kind to our neighbors,” he smiles. “When we help each other, everyone wins!”
We pay $200!