Brick Wallet And Its Christmas Bounty Reunited With Owner

BRICK, NJ — It's the kind of loss that could ruin someone's Christmas. A wallet full of Christmas cash and gift cards dropped in a store, the owner of the wallet unaware.

Michael Schlachter of Toms River found the black wallet with $860 in cash plus and gift cards in Dick's Sporting Goods in Brick on Tuesday. There was one problem: no identification in the wallet.

The only clue to the owner's identity was a message written on five $100 bills: Merry Christmas Mackenzie Love Mom.

That message, along with a gift card signed by the giver, were the key to reuniting the owner with her Christmas bounty.

Schlachter, who contacted Brick Township police and the store management at Dick's Sporting Goods, turned to Facebook to track the owner down.

He posted photos of the wallet and its contents on Facebook, with the message, "If you know MacKenzie have her get in contact with me. The correct MacKenzie should be able to tell me who the Kohl's gift card is from. Feel free to share. Would love to get this back to her."

Schlachter, a retired U.S. Marine who owns Targeted Technologies, an information technology company in Toms River, posted the photos about 3 p.m. and by 6:15 p.m. his post had been shared more than 5,000 times.

Shortly before 6 p.m., he posted the update: Mackenzie had been found. The wallet was returned to her Tuesday evening.

While some commenters suggested things Schlachter had tried, many of those commenting on the post praised him for his honesty and his efforts to find the owner.

"Thank God there are people like you in this crazy world," one person wrote.

"Thank you for restoring my faith in humanity," another wrote. "You, kind sir, ROCK!"

This article has been updated to reflect the owner was found.

Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email karen.wall@patch.com Follow Brick Patch on Facebook.