Honesty pays for U. worker

Some laud him as a hero, others deem him a role model, but Brett Bonfield said he was "just doing the right thing" when he returned a $1,85o wad of cash to its rightful owner. Bonfield -- a staff writer in the communications department of the Office of Development and Alumni Relations -- was shopping with his fiancZe, Beth Filla, at Thrift for AIDS on South Street when he found the money in an old pair of pants early last month. "I saw some pants that looked interesting, but they seemed too big," explained Bonfield. "But as I held them up, I felt something in the pocket that felt like an old wallet. Well, I reached in and pulled out a wad of cash, including several hundred dollar bills." Bonfield, 28, claimed that he didn't even stop to think as he headed up to the register -- the money in one hang, the pants in the other. "What I did took about 15 seconds and it took that long only because my knees were shaking," he said. "There was no decision time. I was just thinking 'this is Thrift for AIDS, the money isn't mine and I should give it back'." The thrift store, located at 633 South Street, is a non-profit organization whose proceeds go to assist those with HIV and AIDS. A deposit slip found with the money was used to track down the rightful owner, according to Mike Martino, the store's executive director. It turns out that Javier Kuehnle, the owner of a company that makes automotive components, had donated the pants only a week before, although he had lost the money two years ago. "I was very pleasantly surprised when the thrift store called," Kuehnle told The Philadelphia Daily News last weekend. "I was actually shocked that the money showed up after all this time." To show his appreciation for the returned money, Kuehnle gave Bonfield with a $500 reward. Thrift for AIDS has also given him a $100 store gift certificate. "We are grateful for his integrity and support and we wanted to tangibly show that by giving him the gift certificate," Martino said. "Especially because part of the driving force for Brett to turn in the money was his feelings for our organization and what we do." Although Bonfield said he "just would not have felt comfortable keeping the money," he hesitated to make any generalizations about the "moral" course of action in a situation such as the one he was faced with a few weeks ago. Although he and his finacZe could definitely have used the $1,850 towards the wedding which they are financing on their own, Bonfield said that there are many families for whom such an expenditure would be a luxury. "If someone else had found the money and did something really good with it like buying food for their kids or paying medical bills, would that be any less heroic?" Bonfield asked. "I'm very fortunate to be in a position where there was no decision."