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Evergreen Goodwill returns historic pin, missing for decades, to local family
POSTED November 21, 2021 IN: Press Releases
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Nov. 23, 2021
Evergreen Goodwill returns historic pin, missing for decades, to local family
SEATTLE – Thanks to the power of the internet and some goodwill, an 85-year-old Tiffany & Co. pin is being returned to its rightful owners after it was stolen from a family’s home in the 1970s.
The 18-karat gold “Wolf’s Head” pin was given to Alexander Steward Ballinger while he was a student at Yale University in 1936. The symbol has origins dating back to the late 1880s, representing a prestigious student society at Yale.
The pin was donated to Evergreen Goodwill and listed for sale online this past October. Thankfully, a former Yale student recognized it and searched Mr. Ballinger’s name on the internet. After discovering an obituary in the Seattle Times, the individual did some further sleuthing, tracking down Mr. Ballinger’s granddaughter and alerting her that a pin inscribed with her grandfather’s name was up for auction.
After hearing this story, Evergreen Goodwill’s Loss Prevention Department was notified and is in the process of returning the pin to Mr. Ballinger’s family.
“It’s the people that are connected to the pin, and its unlikely journey home, that makes this so special,” said Steven Sutterby, Evergreen Goodwill E-Commerce Manager. “The team here was delighted to play a small part.”
For photos of the pin, please courtesy: “Evergreen Goodwill.”
Contact: Ryan Hodges, Communications Specialist, ryan.hodges@evergreengoodwill.org or 972-955-4428
About Evergreen Goodwill
Evergreen Goodwill is a nonprofit organization founded in 1923. We currently operate five Job Training Centers, 24 retail stores, and 30 donation sites in King, Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, and Kitsap County. We employ over 1,500 people in our region. It is our mission to break down significant barriers people face to employment and education through our Job Training and Education Programs – because jobs change lives. Visit evergreengoodwill.org/about-us for more information.
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