WESTON, Fla. – Ryan Gandara could have been home watching cartoons on Monday afternoon, but instead he was going door to door, trying to sell cellphone cases to his neighbors.
The 10-year-old boy was in an entrepreneurial summer club. He bought them on Alibaba at a wholesale price, displayed them on his little red metal wagon and walked out to sell. While at his gated community in Weston, he stumbled upon a bag full of cash.
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"It's never finders keepers," Ryan said.
Ryan found $400 on the street. The cash injection would have been good for business. But instead he went back home and told his parents about it. He would later gain a friend.
"It was bizarre," his father, Joel Gandara, said.
The Gandara family went on a mission to find the rightful owner. His mom, Jessica Gandara, remembered seeing a group of teens who were also going door to door. They were Cypress Bay High School football players raising money for their team.
On Tuesday morning, Ryan's father went out to work out at Vista View Park in Davie. It was there where he spotted the Cypress Bay High School football players practicing. He walked up to them and told them about Ryan's finding.
After asking a few questions, he confirmed Andres Wulff, a defensive tackle set to graduate in 2018, had lost a bag with the team's $400. They had been selling discount cards door to door.
When Andres showed up to the Gandara's family home on Tuesday afternoon to retrieve the cash, he brought them his team's T-shirts.
"He was so appreciative," Gandara said. "He said 'Thank you' so many times."
When Ryan met Andres, he said he realized he had made a friend. They took a picture together and Ryan's parents shared it on social media with pride. His dad's Facebook post on Wednesday: "Congrats on making the right decision Ryan." Many echoed the sentiment. Some called him a "hero" and a "role model."
Andres' mom, Myriam Van Marcke, spotted one of the posts.
"Ryan is a great child and a good example," Van Marcke said on Facebook. "You and your wife did a great job raising him. Thank you very much."
Local 10 News reporter Erica Rakow and Local10.com reporter Andrea Torres contributed to this story.