By: Jen Russon
Various items from BJ’s Wholesale Club remain hot commodities during the COVID-19 crisis, and thanks to a good Samaritan, a Tamarac couple avoided getting burned when their purchases suddenly went missing.
“My wife and I went shopping at our local BJ’s for a few items we needed,” said Tamarac resident Jeff States. “We purchased seven or eight items, and the bill was $64.”
States described the panic he and wife, Sharon naturally felt when not five minutes into the drive home, they realized they had failed to secure the hatchback of their SUV.
The items they desperately needed, and had purchased at the Coral Springs BJ’s were in a black tote bag and must have fallen out, somewhere in the parking lot or on the road.
They drove back to BJ’s on the slim hope that someone had been kind enough to return the bag. Inside the store, there were two police officers, and Sharon stopped to ask if, by any chance, they had seen someone return their bag.
The couple was ecstatic to find out one of the Coral Springs police officers had good news, then directed them to an older gentleman using a walker.
The good Samaritan’s name was Jack Frawley, and from the looks of his Vietnam veteran cap, States realized they had something in common.
“I was wearing my Air Force veteran hat,” said States, adding the pair spoke for about ten minutes about how Frawley had spotted the black tote bag on his way home and made the effort to retrieve it.
“I was endlessly thanking him. He [Frawley] was partially disabled, and yet he had stopped his car in the middle of the road to pick up the bag and return it to BJ’s,” States told Tamarac Talk.
States and his wife said they thoroughly enjoyed their chat with another ‘old veteran,’ during a time when COVID-19 has a way of flattening warm exchanges — along with the curve.
He honestly admitted he didn’t think most people would stop to read what he calls a ‘good citizen story.’
“My takeaway is, there are still plenty of good people out there, and to all those who have taken the time to read this story, stay safe and stay home,” he said.