Features
Good Deed = Justin Bieber Tickets
A heartwarming story about an 8-year-old Maine girl doing the right thing after finding a purse containing $4,202 ended with a local bank rewarding her and her family with a handful of tickets to see Justin Bieber in Boston.
On Wednesday the Portland Press Herald printed a feature story on the front page detailing how 8-year-old Abbie Jacobson helped reunite the missing purse with Ra Rim, who immigrated to Maine from Cambodia less than two years ago.
Jacobson found the little green purse with several pieces of heirloom gold jewelry, a debit card, a small amount of Cambodian currency and a large wad of bills totaling $4,202 on the sidewalk outside Sam’s Club in Scarborough, Maine, when shopping with her parents. The University Credit Union debit card was issued to named Ra Rim.
The 8-year-old and her parents tracked down a young Cambodian man in Sam’s Club, who turned out to be Ra’s son, but unfortunately he didn’t speak English. The Jacobsons ended up calling the Scarborough Police Department and turning in the purse.
The next day Abbie’s mother called the University Credit Union, who in turn called Ra’s daughter. Ra was united with the purse by the end of the day. The money was especially important to Ra because it was her travel funds for a visit back to Cambodia. Before she and her husband returned to their homeland, they met up for lunch with the Jacobsons to thank Abbie and her parents.
The Aug. 29 feature story ended with a sidenote from the Portland Press Herald writer saying, “For anyone interested in making it even happier, Abbie wouldn’t mind seeing Justin Bieber when he plays the TD Garden in Boston on Nov. 10.”
That someone who was interested was John Everets, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of The Bank of Maine. The Portland Press Herald ran a follow-up story online Aug. 29 saying that Everets was so impressed with Abbie that he had Renee Smyth, senior vice president for The Bank of Maine, call a ticket broker to buy Abbie tickets to the sold out Bieber show. The Bank of Maine officials also purchased tickets for her parents and brother and sister.
Another follow-up Portland Press Herald story reported that the Marriott Residence Inn donated a suite for Abbie and her family to spend the night in Boston after the concert.