President Wilson finds note, money for coffee on daily walk

If you commute through campus in the early morning, you might spot University of Iowa President Barbara Wilson out on her daily walk with her husband, John Lammers, and their dog, Ollie.

"We learned when we moved here to bring a bag with us to pick up trash along the route," Wilson says. "This is one of Ollie's favorite parts of the day."

But on April 30, one piece of paper they picked up was different from the usual trash. Outside of Burge Residence Hall near the bike rack they found an anonymous note, apologizing for breaking a reflector off someone's bike. The note included $4 for a cup of coffee. It appeared to have been taped to a bicycle but was blown off.

"At first, I thought it was just trash, but when I picked it up, I could tell it felt more like a packet," Lammers says. "It had been there after rain, but you could just faintly see on the outside that it says, 'To the owner of this bike.'"

The note reads: "I'm really sorry about your bike wheel reflector - while filling up air my bike fell on yours and the reflector cracked/fell off. I hope you can accept this as an apology and that you have a good rest of your day. (Your coffee's on me.)"

Wilson hopes that they can connect with the people involved to get the note - and the money - in the right hands. She also says the actions speak to the culture of care and community that permeates the UI campus.

"Where would you find something like that other than Iowa?" she says. "It was a bike reflector, but someone took the time to write out a note, put money in it, and tape it to a bike. I know it may be a cliché, but it's the definition of 'Iowa nice.' The measure of care people here have for one another is wonderful to see."

If you are the individual who wrote the note or think you could have been the intended recipient, please email now@uiowa.edu.