Random Act of Kindness at Comic-Con

An unidentified woman gave a homeless man a $100 bill as she zipped by him among the Comic-Con crowds, near the San Diego Convention Center

You never know what you’ll see at San Diego Comic-Con. Celebrities, costumes, fake weapons and elaborate exhibits are everywhere, so it shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to hear about a superhero at the corner of 5th Avenue and K Street.

She wasn’t wearing a cape, just bunny ears.

I watched her pass a homeless man and put a single bill into his plastic cup.

What happened next is something I’ll never forget. His eyes opened up wide. She just kept walking. I did a double-take wondering if those were those real “0s” behind the “1” on that bill.

[NATL] Celebrities at Comic-Con 2014

A closer look gave confirmation it was in fact Benjamin Franklin, not George Washington, staring back at me through the grungy man’s clear plastic cup.

I tried to call out to the kind stranger: “Hey, bunny ears!”

But she wasn’t turning back.

Like a wild animal protecting its kill, the young man with dirty clothes was also already packing up his few belongings and preparing to leave.

He was uncomfortable with such a large bill now in his possession and a little nervous about who else had seen it enter his cup.

He told me it could pay for four nights at a local hotel serving homeless or maybe go towards some new clothes.

[G -2014] Comic-Con 2014 Costumes

He allowed me to take a quick picture of the biggest donation he ever received and then promptly left.

I felt lucky to be in the right place at the right time.

Superheroes aren’t in it for the fame, they just want to help. They move fast and rarely stop to admire their good deeds. I know this, because I saw it with my own eyes. Kindness at Comic-Con, that’s for sure.

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