Ben Belnap from Holladay, Utah, had his heart set on season football tickets to support the University of Utah. His parents offered to lend him the money so he could go for it.
Ben and his wife were thankful and wanted to pay them back. They started saving, putting cash into an envelope little by little until they hit $1,060.
On the day they were planning to meet Ben’s mom and return the money, the envelope was missing. They searched everywhere, tearing through drawers and flipping couch cushions.
Jackee checked one last place, the one she had hoped it wouldn’t be. The shredder.
There it was. Or at least, it had been.
Their two-year-old son Leo had gotten into the envelope and fed it all into the shredder. The money was completely destroyed. Ben shared what happened on Twitter and the story went viral.
Some people sent kind words and condolences, others made jokes to lighten the mood.
Budweiser even reached out and offered some Utah game day tickets.
People online mentioned that the U.S. Treasury might be able to help. The Department of Treasury’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing offers something called the Mutilated Currency Redemption Service.
It’s not a guarantee, but it can work if the right conditions are met. More than half of the bill has to be recognizable as U.S. currency.
It also helps if security features like the serial number can still be seen.
Ben and Jackee followed the advice and contacted the Treasury. They were told it could take between six months and three years to process. In the meantime, the new envelope is out of Leo’s reach.
