A quick stop for something to eat at a Wendy’s in Fort Pierce almost cost a couple $1,500. However, an honest employee made sure that didn’t happen.
"We're very lucky I think," said Peggy Humanick, of Boca Raton.
On Monday, Peggy and Frank Humanick were on their way back from a weekend trip to Orlando to watch their granddaughter in a soccer tournament when they went to Wendy's on Okeechobee Road in Fort Pierce.
"He likes the chili at Wendy’s," she said.
Peggy had put $1,500 in cash in her purse for the trip that her husband had saved up for roof repairs and some other things from his part-time job at a golf course. Frank didn't know she had done that. She says she doesn’t usually carry that much money, but she thought it would be safer with her than at home.
"Why didn’t you leave it home?" Frank said. "She said she didn’t think it was safe in the house."
However, Peggy realized when they got home to Boca Raton that she had left her purse at Wendy’s.
"My whole stomach disappeared," she said. "It was terrible."
19-year-old Matt Cureton was working at Wendy's that day. He picked up the purse and turned it into his manager without even looking inside, per store policy.
"I think anyone who works here would’ve done what I had done," he said.
The Humanicks gave Matt $100 for his good deed.
"Their 100 dollars award was really surprising," Matt said.
"Don't be so modest and humble," his manager Betsy Hersha recalls telling him when the couple offered the money. "You deserve it. You did the right thing."
He's putting it toward his savings for college. He wants to major in English and psychology.
“There’s so many bad news stories going on," Frank said. "Mudslides and fires and bombings. You rarely hear a good story about honest people.”
Matt said he was just following policy and ethics.
"Maybe inspire more people to do the right thing when they encounter a situation such as this," Matt said.