Man who says he left money in suit does not want donations

DES MOINES (AP) - The vice president of marketing for Goodwill of the Heartland said Wednesday the charity has been inundated with calls and emails from people offering assistance to a man who said he mistakenly left $13,000 in the pocket of a donated suit.

“It's been extremely heartwarming, the number of people reaching out to help,” Dana Engelbert said. “The phone at the Moline store rang almost nonstop with people calling about it, and I've received emails from as far away as Germany.”

But the man and his family are declining all offers of financial assistance and have asked that they not be identified, Engelbert said.

“Our family would like to thank each and every one of you that have come forward wanting to make a donation to my father for the money he has lost,” the man's daughter said in a statement provided to WQAD-TV in Moline.

“We are overwhelmed by the outpouring of generosity from around the world. My father's wishes are to respectfully decline any donations of any kind. He only wanted someone to come forward with the money he gave away by mistake,” she said.

The family is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of the money, Engelbert said.

It's not unusual for people to find money in donated clothes and return it to the store, but typically no more than $5, Engelbert said.

“We do whatever we can to return it to the owner whenever possible,” she said. Any unclaimed money usually ends up in the organization's general operating fund, she said.