COMICSANDS
percolately
georgetakei
secondnexus
george's picks
A Virginia man took it upon himself to lash out at his ex-wife and child by dumping 80,000 pennies, or $800, of his child support payment directly onto the family's lawn.
But though the action was intended to cause harm to his ex-wife and daughter, the teenage girl instead put the obscene amount of change to positive use due to creative thinking.
You can see news coverage here:
Avery Sanford, the daughter of the man, said her father rented a trailer to dump the pennies on her mother's lawn in a symbolic "F**k you" gesture over his final child support payment.
"It is really hurtful and damaging to your kids when you do things like that," Sanford told CBS 6.
"And it doesn't matter how old your kids—it doesn't matter if they're a young child or an adult. The actions of your parents will always have some effect on you."
When 18 y.o. Avery Sanford in Virginia got home from school, she couldn’t believe what she saw. Her father had dr… https://t.co/OiOmDIcFk0— chris evans (@chris evans) 1623415303.0
@chris_notcapn Wow. Way to show your kids you resent supporting them so much you'll plan out this stunt just to in… https://t.co/Dy4OPMAsnk— CLL (@CLL) 1623415895.0
@chris_notcapn For the rest of her adult life, this kid will never have to wonder if her mom ever painted her fathe… https://t.co/ulPVOqCRAe— Random Individual (@Random Individual) 1623415659.0
@chris_notcapn Man is driving a Range Rover & is that pressed about paying for his children’s care & comfort.— Mia 💯🙎🏽♀️ (@Mia 💯🙎🏽♀️) 1623415443.0
@chris_notcapn I'm assuming he also had to rent this trailer to pull this little stunt. Some people are just det… https://t.co/k39izBaZxw— ND Kirsch 🏳️🌈 (@ND Kirsch 🏳️🌈) 1623415929.0
But instead of let the gesture become one of burden, Sanford immediately got to work.
Sanford donated the entire sum of money immediately to a domestic violence shelter.
Safe Harbor in Richmond received $850 from Sanford and her mom, but once word spread of Sanford's gesture around the community, the shelter raised around $5,000.
@chris_notcapn Makes you wonder how long he had been amassing pennies for this prank. A dude like this should have… https://t.co/NZT4ibgbAc— Templeton ze Rat (@Templeton ze Rat) 1623423050.0
@chris_notcapn My dad took a pic of the last check and put it on the fridge. He was very proud. I cried.— Rita Powell🐝💙💛💜 (@Rita Powell🐝💙💛💜) 1623418301.0
@chris_notcapn Poor girl doesn't realize that he DID consider it: he just didn't care.— E Doherty (@E Doherty) 1623416861.0
@chris_notcapn He will probably wonder later why his kids won’t talk to him or allow him into their lives. Then he… https://t.co/MEs1FySkVt— Suburban Harridan 🥓💛🐝 (@Suburban Harridan 🥓💛🐝) 1623417501.0
@chris_notcapn This is the kind of man who will bend your ear about how misandrist the Family Court system is, when… https://t.co/UGI3hNw4Rm— Godless Wench (@Godless Wench) 1623423724.0
Safe Harbor said they are immensely thankful for the donations.
"During the pandemic, incidents of domestic violence incidents have increased, people who have been abused, especially since the beginning, were trapped in their homes with their abusers and couldn't leave," said Cathy Easter, executive director of Safe Harbor in Richmond, VA.
"Since restrictions started lifting, it's like a tsunami wave of people reaching out for help at a time when federal funding has been cut, so this gift for us has been amazing."
@chris_notcapn In a just universe, he will arrive in Hell to find his cell full of molten pennies. Still scalding hot.— Paula, 4Ever Team Pete 🐝 🍷 (@Paula, 4Ever Team Pete 🐝 🍷) 1623425103.0
@chris_notcapn The time and energy this guy took to spitefully and literally destroy his relationship with his kids. https://t.co/GPScN3fGIZ— happyintrovert (@happyintrovert) 1623418750.0
@chris_notcapn They think the public will blame their exes and think they must have deserved that. Also Fing 800$… https://t.co/c1kLo5uNkL— Elnigma (@Elnigma) 1623420351.0
@chris_notcapn @CatStaggs In 1979, high school friend received a $5 McDonalds gift certificate in a card that said… https://t.co/jSJKysD9Lb— Beth C. (@Beth C.) 1623422993.0
Easter also said she admired Sanford's ability to rise above a demeaning and hostile experience in order to be generous outside of her station.
Sanford said that she hadn't spoken to her father in years, and that this incident only deepened the divide. The family has filed a police report against him, but as of yet, no charges have been filed.