COLORADO NEWS

United Airlines employees donate 15,000 Pokemon Cards to boy who lost collection in Denver

Mar 2, 2026, 3:36 PM

Seven-year-old Reid learned the hard way that airport security won’t catch everything — including a beloved Pokémon binder making a break for it at Denver International Airport.

When the cards vanished without a trace, Reid’s father, Graham, did what any modern parent would do: he took to social media. United Airlines’ social team spotted the post, connected it with a lost item report filed by Reid’s mom, and asked a simple question: How can we help?

The answer came from United employees worldwide, who apparently take “gotta catch ’em all” very seriously.

Workers from Hawaii to Ireland raided their personal collections and sent cards to Denver. The haul? More than 15,000 cards weighing roughly 90 pounds — enough to make any playground trader’s jaw hit the floor.

“Employees quickly took action after hearing the boy’s story,” said Jonna McGrath, vice president of United’s Denver hub.

Reid and his family recently visited the airport to collect his upgraded stash in person.

But the kid’s not hoarding his treasure. Reid has already hosted a trading party at school, sending each classmate home with 60 cards. His family plans to donate even more, hoping to pass along the generosity that landed in their laps — one holographic card at a time.

Colorado News

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United Airlines employees donate 15,000 Pokemon Cards to boy who lost collection in Denver