Robin Hood 702
Friday I witnessed one of the most amazing and wonderful moments of my 21-year reporting career. It came after an early morning flight to Detroit where we rented a car, met up with a freelance crew and drove to a suburban mobile-home park.
I felt like Ed McMahon or the guy from Publishers Clearing House with cameras behind me as I approached the front steps of a double-wide trailer in a well-kept yard.
I knocked and saw a woman inside rush toward the door.
I confirmed her name and introduced myself and held up my Blackberry with Robin Hood 702 on the speakerphone.
“Can you hear me?” He asked. “Get your husband out there… I want to speak to him too!”
Her husband appeared with their young daughter in his arms and Robin Hood broke the news.
“You have been chosen by Robin Hood, myself. I’m flying you to Vegas…” As he spoke I watched the tears flow down her face. Her husband began to cry, my producer welled up and I’m not ashamed to admit I did too, as Robin Hood continued.
“The limo is picking you up at 4 o’clock. I’m gonna fly you first class and I’m gonna bring you out of debt.”
There was a stunned moment of silence but the mood was sheer joy and incredulous relief.
“Are you serious?” She asked, but of course she knew he was.
As we first reported in August, Robin Hood 702 is a high stakes blackjack player who decided to help a family buried in bills during these tough economic times by using his skills at the table to win the money they needed to get back to even. Find out more on his web site >>
He solicited submissions to his website and the entries poured in by the hundreds. The family he chose is buried in medical bills and struggling financially. Now their lives were about to change forever.
And there was another entry from a woman in Charleston, S.C. who Robin Hood says touched him so much he flew her to Vegas too.
* * *
A long black stretch limo pulled up to the family’s driveway ahead of schedule and the father carried out the stroller and car seat and the driver helped load bags in the trunk. “Have you ever ridden in a limo before?” I asked. “When we got married four years ago” he said with a smile, “but not since.”
They were about to have their horizons broadened beyond what they could even imagine.
We joined the family on the flight to Vegas and documented Robin Hood’s attempt to win their money back (he promised them half no matter what) and we’ll reveal their identities.
But here’s a sneak peek:
There was plenty of drama and eventually bags full of thousands of dollars worth of chips taken from the rich and given to the poor, who go home touched by the generosity and armed for a fresh start in life.
Tags: Robin Hood
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Rick Leventhal is a correspondent in the New York bureau, but has
covered stories in more than 30 states and 20 countries, from Aruba to
Afghanistan. He has also reported from the field for dozens of World
Series games! 
This is a truly touching story. I hope that we will see more and more of this during these tough financial times that everyone is going through. I myself have debt, IRS obligations, a home, cars, etc., but try and donate what I can to the needy, even if its only old clothes that someone may need. We as a society should really look to ourselves to help each other out, as we did in the past. There is no reason why anyone with a little money in the bank cannot donate a few dollars to help the less fortunate. Believe me, it will give you a high better than any drug. Get started today, what are you waiting for?
I thought this story was very nice and hope that both of these people go through life and “pay it forward”. That’s what life is about.
Thank you.
God Bless you Robin Hood 702. I think what you are doing is something more people in this world should do.
Are you crazy
God Bless you…. What a wonderful story… Wake up! The guy is gambling or all of you selective conservatives. Now there are people that are going to read this story, think that they can do it, LOOSE EVERYTHING, then I will have to pay for it, So until we pay the $840 Billion Bailout I would prefer people stay out of the gambling business. Thank you very much
Where is the financial responsibility involved? The message being sent is to gamble your way out of debt. Also, the robinhood702 website explicitly states in its “privacy” policy that the applicants’ information may be shared with third parties, including banks, retailers, direct marketers, data processing organizations, and direct mail services. How is this not a scam to try to net thousands of addresses of overspending debt-prone hopefuls?
So, let me get this right Bryan…and since you’ve called out the conservatives…I’m assuming that you’re a liberal…
You want people to alter their own personal actions because of moral responsiblity? Are you sure you’re really wanting to go there? Because I’m pretty sure that we’ve read stories of people getting more money out of welfare if they have more kids…and it’s led to more kids. Liberals drive the welfare system in this country…
Hey POT, it’s me…KETTLE.
JMHO.
~D
Who is this Robinhood? Is he a good thief? Or a hacker?
Robinhood is an idiot! What a fraud. He pretends he doesn’t want any recognition, but, he’s obviously “getting off” on the whole thing. What a loser! What message is he sending? Gamble & everything will be better? WRONG!!!! Beat it Robinhood, & shame on FOX NEWS for giving this idiot a platform!
what a wonderfull act of compassion! is shown by robinhood702 god bless him.1
my husband is 89 years old and a veteran of the ii world war; about 3 months ago lost our business and we are in debt up to our eyeballs and pretty soon; we will not be able to make our mortgage payments.
this economy is not helping us; and like us; are thousands that we need robinhood coming to our rescue.
thanks for listing. god bless us, all.
You have to be crazy. Some gambling junkie gives people who cannot keep thier finances straight a ride to Las Vegas. He then pays off thier bills. I have a plan keep them at home and teach them how to get out of debt!. These people are going to be in the same boat in one year. Give a man a fish he can eat for one day. Teach a man to fish he can eat for a life time.
Rick show us some common sense.
LOVE THIS IDEA! In fact, I would like to do the same thing, but via numbers – when I win, the poor and needy wins. And I mean the poor and needy who are that way through no fault of their own – not those who would try to abuse or take advantage of a good thing. Of course the persons receiving necessary assistance would not be taken advantage of either – they would remain anonymous and get whatever financial counselling is required.
This would be, to me, the best way of paying my tithes – at least this way I KNOW that the money’s going where it’s needed and where it will do the most good!
Doug,
The glass half empty today? You could be right… It would suck if you were… No offense to you, of course. To me it sounds like legitimate things they’d have to contact in order to verify stories possibly, or maybe it’s only if you win, so they can work with creditors to repay the debts incurred.
I see where you’re coming from, hope you don’t mind that I’m rooting for you to be wrong.
Great story Rick, You seem a very versatile journalist. Good work! These kinds of stories can really help us as a country sometimes.