Meet the mastermind behind Baton Rouge’s viral cash giveaway account

A woman runs across the lawn of Capitol Park, racing against a dad and his two sons. Both are looking for the same thing: a white box from the Cheesecake Lab, holding a stash of cash and a coupon for a free treat. The question is, who’s getting to it first?  

The Cash Stash Baton Rouge Instagram account has gained the attention of around 33,000 people in the Capital Region, with all of them refreshing their feeds in hopes of being the one to take home the daily prize. What started as a simple scavenger hunt of sorts has now become a city-wide marketing campaign, with an LSU student behind all the money madness.  

Dylan Garcia, a senior majoring in marketing, got the idea to create his own cash stash account after seeing an account in his hometown of St. Louis begin to gain traction, growing from 40,000 followers to 130,000 within a month.  

“I thought I could definitely do this in Baton Rouge,” Garcia says. “So, I started off with like 60 bucks [from] my bank account. I took out like three $20 bills, and did three days of hiding.”  

From there, he started using connections he’s made while running the Old Row LSU Instagram account, reaching out to local businesses to collaborate. Since hiding the first stash in early September, the Cash Stash Baton Rouge account has grown to over 33,000 followers. 

“The [Revelry] took a chance, and they sponsored $300 worth [to give away],” Garcia says about the college bar.  “It’s been up from there really.” 

He’s since collaborated with businesses like Dudley DeBosier Injury Lawyers, Gail’s Fine Ice Cream and Chow Yum, to name a few. These local places will sponsor the giveaway by donating the cash prize and other goodies like branded merch or gift cards. Garcia says the project is also showing these businesses how useful an advertising tool it can be.  

“What I want to be is Louisiana’s biggest marketing and give back company,” Garcia says. “There’s really no better way, besides a magazine or a billboard, to advertise your business, and that’s really what I’m trying to convey to people. It’s a win for the company. It’s a win for the people, and then I get to do something I love.”  

Garcia posts a weekly schedule detailing what businesses he will be collaborating with. Then, he sends his followers to the businesses’ accounts for hints on the hiding spots. On the day of the hunt, he’ll post a brief clip of the hiding spot. And people come running.  

The average response time is around two minutes, with locals popping up to make a mad dash to the location of the stash. Baton Rouge resident Anthony James and his sons were the winners of the Nov. 11 Cheesecake Lab-sponsored stash, beating out others to get to the prize in under two minutes.  

“It feels great, it’s an amazing feeling. I mean, you see others when they get it and you’re like, man, we were right there, but we got it this time,” James says. “It feels great.” 

Garcia has been working to expand his giveaways, working with more businesses and even bringing stashes to New Orleans. While the stashes are a fun way to advertise businesses and make connections within the city, Garcia also sees it as an opportunity to help the community by giving money to people who may need it and can use it for necessities. 

Along with his giveaways, Garcia also uses the platform to give back to the community by donating food to the unhoused, preparing those in need for the winter and helping to organize give-back events.  

“That makes it all worth it. It really does,” Garcia says.  “It’s just crazy [that] I’m just some random kid from St Louis. Helping these people means a lot.”  

Want to get in on the cash craze? Or just want to follow Garcia’s positive posts? Follow the Cash Stash Baton Rouge account for more.