Are Benny's $100 bills finders-keepers? Some Salem Art Fair vendors and patrons differ

Capi Lynn | Statesman Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Benny is Back! A mystery philanthropist has been spreading cheer one $100 bill at a time for more than five years in and around Salem, Oregon.

Whose Benny is it, anyway?

That's the $100 question bubbling to the surface in the wake of the 69th Annual Salem Art Fair & Festival.

Before we dissect the question, some background:

A Benny is a $100 bill left at community events and on local store shelves by a mystery philanthropist. Some are hidden. Others are left in plain sight.

Most of the bills are folded and signed. Benny is the nickname I gave the man — my sources confirmed his gender when I first reported his generosity five years ago — short for Benjamin Franklin, whose likeness is on the $100 bill.

Benny has circulated more than $81,000 in the Salem-Keizer area, and that's only what has been reported to me and the Statesman Journal.

Back to the question: If a Benny is found by a patron in a vendor's booth at the Art Fair, does it belong to the patron or the vendor?

There was some debate during the three-day event featuring 213 artists exhibiting their wares at Bush's Pasture Park.

At least 27 artists reported Benny bills found in their booths, according to event director Stephanie Patterson of the Salem Art Association.

In one case, a woman found one of the $100 bills under a jewelry rack and handed it to the vendor, thinking the vendor had misplaced some of her profits. The vendor recognized it as a Benny and kept it. The patron was disappointed after realizing what she'd given up.

In another case, a 10-year-old girl found one of the bills in a bin of knitted hats. The vendor said the girl could keep the money, but hinted she thought the $100 bills were meant for the vendors. The comment rubbed the girl's grandmother the wrong way.

Like last year, Patterson sent an explanatory email to participating artists in advance because many come from out of town and aren't familiar with the legend of Benny. She attached one of my past stories, "Six things to know about mystery $100 bills appearing in Salem."

"Locals believe that when one finds a Benny — pay it forward. It's usually a finders keepers," Patterson said in the email. "So keep your eyes open and if a patron finds a Benny in your booth, you may just get one more sale."

At past Art Fairs, lucky Benny finders have paid it forward on the spot. A woman four years ago took the $100 bill she found in a booth in a ceramic cup, plus some of her own money, and purchased items from three different artists.

Benny bills don't come with instructions, but the finders keepers premise — the old adage which asserts that whoever finds something unowned is entitled to claim it — seems appropriate.

The philanthropist's intentions are to brighten someone's day.

The last thing Benny would want is for patrons and vendors to play tug of war over a $100 bill that would surely rip in two.

Which makes me wonder, why didn't they just share? They could have found someone at the Art Fair to break the bill, allowing both vendor and patron to walk away with $50 instead of hard feelings.

History: The legacy of Benny, from the beginning

A couple of incidents like this can't or won't tarnish the spirit of generosity, hope, and goodwill that Benny continues to spread.

His $100 bills are most often found tucked inside items purchased at local stores or slipped into grocery carts, strollers and purses.

For finders who have been laid off or are falling behind on medical bills, the financial boost is a blessing. For those more fortunate, it's an inspiration to pay it forward.

More than half of the 800-plus reporting to me have paid it forward. In recent months, local churches and homeless families have been on the receiving end.

One grandmother decided to follow in Benny's footsteps.

She and her two granddaughters, ages 9 and 7, took the $100 bill she found in a blanket at Costco to another store, tucked it inside a box of diapers, and hoped it would wind up in the hands of someone who needed it more than they did.

The 10-year-old who found a Benny at the Art Fair, Morgan Wonderly of Wilsonville, has big plans for her money. She created a pie chart that would make Benny proud:

$50 will go into her savings account, so she can eventually "do even more with it."

$25 will be donated to an acting program at her school, Lowrie Primary.

$15 will be donated to people in Africa, "so they can live like we do."

$10 will be put into her college education fund.

“Forward This” highlights the people, places, and organizations of the Mid-Willamette Valley. Contact Capi Lynn at clynn@StatesmanJournal.com or 503-399-6710, or follow her the rest of the week on Twitter @CapiLynn and Facebook @CapiLynnSJ.