Huawei gifts ‘freebuds’ to lost shopping list owner

GLOBAL electronics firm Huawei has reached out to an elderly West Cork man who was reunited with both his cash and – more importantly – his Christmas shopping list last week.

The list included numerous gift ideas, best-selling books, a ‘wheelbarrow with a pump-up tyre’ and also ‘Whoowawee airbuds’. When the giant multinational Huawei Mobile heard about the list, which was lost in Sam’s Gala supermarket in Dunmanway, it duly stepped in. ‘Unfortunately he might struggle to find ‘Whoowawee Airbuds’, they posted on Sam’s Gala’s Facebook page, ‘however we would be delighted to offer him a free pair of Huawei Freebuds!’

Speaking to The Southern Star, Colm O’Sullivan, operations manager of Clifford & Sons, which runs Sam’s Gala, said they were thrilled to re-unite the gentleman with his cash and list, following an intense social media campaign.

‘We couldn’t believe that Huawei had heard about our search. This story really caught the imagination of the public who were hoping the owner would be found,’ said Colm. The cash and list were found by staff member Clodagh Crowley in the shop.

‘As the last item was so unique (the wheelbarrow), we covered that line so that anyone who rang us would have to tell us what it was. We did get a few calls alright, but thankfully the owner heard me on local radio and contacted us.’

Colm said the man had been sent out to do the Christmas shopping and didn’t know where he had lost his envelope and had been afraid to tell his wife what happened.

‘We want to thank everyone who shared our post. The man later came into the shop and he was absolutely delighted and he gave Clodagh a generous reward for finding the envelope.’ Colm will make contact with the man to inform him of Huawei’s kind Christmas gift to him.