Someone in Toronto is hiding free money around for people to find
Few things are as randomly delightful as finding some unexpected money, whether it be in an old coat pocket or couch, on the ground of an empty bus station, or under a piece of duct tape outside the CN Tower.
It's unlikely that you've experienced the latter situation, but someone in Toronto has — and recently, too, thanks to the adventures of an up-and-coming local TikTok creator.
Ben Wasylina, aka @BroDudee, has been hiding $10 and $20 bills around the city for people to find (and then posting video footage from the act to provide clues) since January 12.
"If you are from Toronto, watch this video," reads a text overlay on his first hidden-cash clip, which shows the 20-year-old student attaching a tenner to a hydro pole using a strip of duct tape.
There's no way somebody walking by would know that the tape held $10 behind it, but people who follow Wasylina's TikTok account got a substantial hint when his video panned out to show the intersection of Pape Avenue and Dundas Street.
A TikTok user has been hiding money around Toronto for people to find - 📹 BroDudee https://t.co/7QGuVyAwl5 #Toronto #TikTok pic.twitter.com/8Qw1QNpPts
— blogTO (@blogTO) January 27, 2021
A second video posted on January 13 shows double the sum of money (a full $20 bill) being taped to a light post in front of Toronto's iconic CN Tower.
Seen nearly 900,000 times, that single clip rocketed Wasylina into viral territory and inspired several requests for neighbourhoods in which to hide future bundles of cash.
"Danforth area pls," wrote one commenter who must have been stoked when, later that day, another video showed $10 being taped to a pole near Danforth and Main.
Based on what people who went to look for it said in the comments of that post, the money was nabbed almost immediately.
"When thinking of creative video ideas I thought about how everyone always wants an opportunity at winning feee money," said Wasylina to blogTO of the series on Tuesday.
"This made me think about how I can integrate that idea into our city. I thought this was a great way to get people excited and outside safely."
Ben Wasylina has no plans of stopping his fun free money video series - 📹 BroDudee https://t.co/FodWKoDKmN #Toronto #TikTok pic.twitter.com/Dp8EgrwgoB
— blogTO (@blogTO) January 27, 2021
The stunt definitely worked to get people excited, but it's been put on hold — temporarily — due to the ongoing lockdown.
"I took a break from hiding money during the Stay-At-Home order but once COVID restrictions are reduced I will continue to hide money all around the city," said the Brock University Sport Management student, who splits his time between St. Catharines and Toronto.
"So far I've only spent $40 hiding money in addition to gas money," he continued. "It definitely has been worth it as this series has received an overwhelming amount of responses."
While the money series is on hiatus, Wasylina continues to produce comedy gold every day on TikTok: His new 100-day-long "doing dumb stuff" series, now three days in, has so far featured the young creator putting on 46 shirts at once, filling his entire room with balloons and trying to make a puzzle fly.
He also recently SodaStreamed a Tim Hortons Double Double mixed with chocolate milk, peppermint vodka and Gatorade.
"I started posting videos as a way to pass the time during lockdown," said Wasylina when asked about why he started hiding money and posting hints on TikTok.
"In the future I hope to grow my following so that I can attract sponsors to advertise their brand to my viewers by hiding their products around the city."
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