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Hidden Cash, for those of you living under a WiFi-free rock, is the Twitternet sensation that rocked San Francisco last month. An anonymous local millionaire placed envelopes of cash around the city and released clues to their whereabouts on @HiddenCash, calling the exercise a "social experiment." Hidden Cash events have quickly turned into a phenomenon, reaching cities in the UK and Canada.
The scavenger hunt came to DFW last night under the Twitter handle @HiddenCashDFW. Spurred by visions of enough Andrew Jacksons to spare for toilet paper and Kleenex, droves of DFWers descended on Victory Park in hopes of scoring one of those elusive cash-filled envelopes.
Get ready!! #HiddenCash is coming the #DFW area soon! Will it be Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Carrollton?? pic.twitter.com/ozCk0uOfyY
— Hidden Cash (@HiddenCashDFW) May 30, 2014
The not-so-anonymous @HiddenCashDFW benefactor, Stacey Monroe, began releasing clues at 6 p.m. While as much as $200 were in each of the original Bay Area envelopes, Monroe, apparently an unemployed 19-year-old, informed followers that $20 to $40 would be stuffed in each of 10 envelopes around Victory Park.
Fox 4 News DFW reports that Monroe was motivated by her own hardships, and hopes that people will put the money toward a good cause.
"I've been faced with hard times as well in my life," she told the station. "Getting through school is one of the biggest obstacles that I've ever done. And, it's a great way to tell others if you feel that you have the extra money to give and help the community, why not do it because it's an awesome way to help other people. I just think it's a really amazing thing to do and I hope I motivate others to do it as well." Monroe is unaffiliated with the original Hidden Cash.
The Dallas Morning News, perhaps in an effort to quell the herd and stave off the pandemonium that occurred among similarly broke Los Angelians, assured readers that the chances of actually finding the money were very slim. But eager for their small fortune, for which they fought so vociferously, Hidden Cash DFW was in no short supply of participants.
Crazy phenomenon @HiddenCashDFW + @HiddenCash has city going ham and running into traffic for $25 in an envelope. Absolutely insane.
— Ben Rogers (@BenRogers) June 2, 2014
We can only assume that those who found the cash did indeed donate it to someone less fortunate than themselves. And despite warnings of impending chaos, it seems the only visible damage was to the shrubbery.
@BrianCurtisNBC5 @HiddenCashDFW @RayVilleda @NBCDFW I think it's fair to say grounds keeping crews will be getting some overtime
— Johnny Archer (@ArcherNBC5) June 2, 2014
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