Other Big Fat Tips in Cities Around the United States!

Talk about perfect timing and good fortune! On November 26, 2025, the eve of Thanksgiving, our volunteer Robert Guertin, MBA, CSP, ASP, CHST, LAT, ATC, surprised an incredibly grateful server at Juniper at Vertex Sky Bar. This stunning rooftop spot sits atop the historic Hotel Alex Johnson in Rapid City, South Dakota. This hardworking server was initially set to wait on another table, but swapped sections so his colleague could chat with an attractive guest. That lucky swap landed him a life-changing $1,000 Big Fat Tip instead! ? With breathtaking city views, Juniper is a beloved gathering place during the Thanksgiving holiday. This touching moment was made possible by generous new donors Billy Tesh, Melissa Huson, CPA, William Sundquist, FCSI, and Kim Paone, plus our dedicated Tipping Titans Brad Sundgren and Mike Chamberlain (the incredible supporters who signed up for automatic monthly donations). Thank you for spreading hope and kindness! Watch the full heartwarming video and feel the gratitude. It's the ripple effect of random acts of kindness! ? See the surprise and more inspiring stories at bigfattip.org Donate today to help us surprise more service heroes with $1,000 tips: bigfattip.org/donate/ #BigFatTip #RandomActsOfKindness #ThanksgivingMiracle #RapidCity #ServiceIndustryHeroes #KindnessMatters #BigFatTip

We surprised the incredible bartenders at The Whiskey in Orlando with our 85th $1,000 tip – and they were over the moon excited! While in town for PestWorld 2025, the National Pest Management Association's annual conference, our founder, Deedre Daniel ?, delivered her signature talk and game show. With so many friends from the NPMA together, it only made perfect sense to team up for Big Fat Tip #85 right here in sunny Orlando. This tip was just one more example of the positive impact NPMA had on the city during its conference. Alongside the “NPMA Gives Program,” where attendees participated in various philanthropic efforts, sponsoring this Big Fat Tip further demonstrated their commitment to the community that hosted their event. A huge thank you to our volunteers of the day: Dominique Stumpf, a longtime supporter and donor of The Big Fat Tip, and Melissa Huson, CPA, our newest volunteer and donor. You both made this drop extra special! And a BIG FAT THANKS to the National Pest Management Association for sponsoring this tip and generously covering the full $1,000. Your support is helping spread hope one surprise at a time! What a joyful way to make an impact on the Orlando community. On to the next! #BigFatTip #RandomActsOfKindness #ServiceIndustryLove #SpreadHope #PestWorld2025

We dropped our 84th surprise $1,000 tip in the heart of Cleveland, home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. While we were all in town attending the Construction Specifications Institute National Conference, our founder, Deedre Daniel ?, delivered the closing keynote. Since we were in town together, it made perfect sense to keep the good vibes going and drop Big Fat Tip #84! A huge thank you to Mark Dorsey, FASAE, CAE, for leading the volunteer efforts and making this drop happen seamlessly. Thanks also to our amazing volunteers William Sundquist, FCSI, and Kim Paone, for assisting with the drop. And a BIG FAT THANKS to Mark Dorsey, FASAE, CA,E for generously donating $1,000 to fully cover the cost of this tip. Your kindness is making waves (or should we say riffs?) across the service industry! What a perfect way to wrap up an inspiring week. Hope rocks on! ?? #BigFatTip #RandomActsOfKindness #ClevelandRocks #RockAndRoll #SpreadHope

Nothing beats the thrill of turning a stranger's ordinary shift into an unforgettable one. We love these positive, memorable moments because that sudden joy triggers a massive dopamine rush in the recipient. And science doesn't lie: giving often tops receiving. Pulling off an act of kindness triggers oxytocin for a deeper connection, extra dopamine for pleasure, and endorphins for that pure euphoric lift. It leaves the giver quietly hooked on the feeling of brightening someone's world. This drop happened at a Texas steakhouse in Houston while our volunteers were in town for a conference. Classic unscripted reality: the server walked away with the receipt folder, so we missed the exact "holy cow" moment. But when she returned? The grin said it all. Super pleased is an understatement. BIG FAT THANKS to our volunteer of the day: Christy Gandy! Christy is a repeat rockstar who has volunteered multiple times and even donated in the past. You made the magic happen again! And endless gratitude to our anonymous donor for #83. We couldn't do this without you. Kindness at this Texas steakhouse was a rare surprise with well-done execution. ? #bigfattip

Random acts of kindness hit different. That unexpected happy shock? It floods the recipient's brain with dopamine, the ultimate feel-good chemical that cranks up pleasure and reward pathways. Our days tend to blend in and become forgettable. Good surprises light up those centers brighter than predictable routines ever could. Science keeps proving the old cliché right. Giving usually feels better than getting. When you do something nice for someone else, your brain unleashes oxytocin, more dopamine, and a rush of endorphins. It's a sneaky rush that turns regular folks into low-key giving addicts. Volunteers often say, “That was so fun! I want to do another one!” These two epic drops went down in Los Angeles during the ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership Annual Meeting, surrounded by association pros plotting world domination (the good kind). Just another reminder of the POWER OF A: associations pulling people together to actually make the world a little less sucky. BIG FAT THANKS to our volunteer(s) of the day: Nicole Araujo, CAE You made the magic happen! And endless gratitude to our generous sponsors/donors: Nat Bartholomew, Rob Wenger, Lowell Aplebaum, EdD, FASAE, CAE, CPF, Jeffrey Tenenbaum and his company Tenenbaum Law Group PLLC, Nicole Araujo, CAE, Cathi Eifert Horner, CAE, Alina Cooper, CAE, Mike Chamberlain, and Brad Sundgren and an anonymous donor who has given many times in the past, too. We couldn't do this without you, Legends. Watch the pure joy in all our Big Fat Tip videos. ? #bigfattip

Random acts of kindness hit different. That unexpected happy shock? It floods the recipient's brain with dopamine, the ultimate feel-good chemical that cranks up pleasure and reward pathways. Our days tend to blend in and become forgettable. Good surprises light up those centers brighter than predictable routines ever could. Science keeps proving the old cliché right. Giving usually feels better than getting. When you do something nice for someone else, your brain unleashes oxytocin, more dopamine, and a rush of endorphins. It's a sneaky rush that turns regular folks into low-key giving addicts. Volunteers often say, “That was so fun! I want to do another one!” These two epic drops went down in Los Angeles during the ASAE: The Center for Association Leadership Annual Meeting, surrounded by association pros plotting world domination (the good kind). Just another reminder of the POWER OF A: associations pulling people together to actually make the world a little less sucky. BIG FAT THANKS to our volunteer(s) of the day: Nicole Araujo, CAE You made the magic happen! And endless gratitude to our generous sponsors/donors: Nat Bartholomew, Rob Wenger, Lowell Aplebaum, EdD, FASAE, CAE, CPF, Jeffrey Tenenbaum and his company Tenenbaum Law Group PLLC, Nicole Araujo, CAE, Cathi Eifert Horner, CAE, Alina Cooper, CAE, Mike Chamberlain, and Brad Sundgren and an anonymous donor who has given many times in the past, too. We couldn't do this without you, Legends. Watch the pure joy in all our Big Fat Tip videos. ? #bigfattip

"Woah" said softly...twice. Have you ever thought about what you can do that AI can’t? Robots can’t show kindness the way people do. AI might do things that seem like random acts of kindness, but they aren’t really random because they follow set rules or respond to prompts. AI can deliver a digital surprise in an app or game, but it doesn’t feel the same joy a human does when helping someone. Real acts of kindness are selfless and come from empathy, with no expectation of anything in return. AI doesn’t feel empathy or care; it just follows its programming to be helpful. (We also do our best to ensure the business we choose is selected at random - good luck finding a pattern and accurately predicting our next location!) Doing something nice for someone else “just because” is a defining human trait that differentiates us and makes us stronger than AI. So, get out there and make someone’s day. Buy that cup of coffee. Help someone who needs it without waiting for them to ask you. Look someone in the eyes and smile. Big Fat Thanks to our volunteers of the day: Andrew Bradshaw, Patrick Wilson, and Heather McKean. Huge thanks to our Tipping Titans: Brad Sundgren, Mike Chamberlain, and Eric and Kelly Stancliff, who have consistently donated each month to sustain momentum. The Interesting Conversations Company®? covered the difference, enabling us to reach number 80 while we were in West Palm Beach for the Florida Society of Association Executives annual conference.

The server’s reaction truly touched us. It was genuine and honest, a direct response to a simple act of kindness Have you ever thought about what you can do that AI can’t? Robots can’t show kindness the way people do. AI might do things that seem like random acts of kindness, but they aren’t really random because they follow set rules or respond to prompts. AI can deliver a digital surprise in an app or game, but it doesn’t feel the same joy a human does when helping someone. Real acts of kindness are selfless and come from empathy, with no expectation of anything in return. AI doesn’t feel empathy or care; it just follows its programming to be helpful. (We also do our best to ensure the business we choose is selected at random - good luck finding a pattern and accurately predicting our next location!) Doing something nice for someone else “just because” is a defining human trait that differentiates us and makes us stronger than AI. So, get out there and make someone’s day. Buy that cup of coffee. Help someone who needs it without waiting for them to ask you. Look someone in the eyes and smile. Big Fat Thanks to our volunteers of the day: Christy Gandy and Mackenzie H. And a huge thank you to our sponsor, who chose to stay anonymous for this drop.

The Big Fat Tip celebrated its 6th anniversary by handing out six surprise $1,000 tips to randomly selected U.S. service workers. We typically do the anniversary drop in our hometown of Lakeland, Florida, but after Hurricane Helene devastated Cedar Key, we felt that we could make a bigger impact there. We didn’t need to draw a business out of a hat or flip a coin; there were only six open that day that aligned with our schedule. Cedar Key continues to rebuild, many more businesses have opened, and they are ready to serve you! Cedar Key is a special place. Go see it for yourself. Huge thanks to our volunteer of the day, Blake Echeverry, who took a full day off during the busy holiday season to travel to Cedar Key and assist with all six drops. These tips would not happened without our generous donors, most of whom have donated multiple times throughout the years: Eric Vaden, Nat Bartholomew, Lakisha Woods, Bob London, Andy and Tracy Rawlings, AB Torres, Cathi Horner, Lowell Aplebaum, Barb Parks, Janice Stephens, Sherry Budziak, Ricky Reynolds, Jennifer Saldana, Danielle Foisy, Damon Dennis, April E, Nicole Araujo, Brad Sundgren, Mike Chamberlain, Eric and Kelly, Alan Alford Sports Talk Show, and The Interesting Conversations Company.

The Big Fat Tip celebrated its 6th anniversary by handing out six surprise $1,000 tips to randomly selected U.S. service workers. We typically do the anniversary drop in our hometown of Lakeland, Florida, but after Hurricane Helene devastated Cedar Key, we felt that we could make a bigger impact there. We didn’t need to draw a business out of a hat or flip a coin; there were only six open that day that aligned with our schedule. Cedar Key continues to rebuild, many more businesses have opened, and they are ready to serve you! Cedar Key is a special place. Go see it for yourself. Huge thanks to our volunteer of the day, Blake Echeverry, who took a full day off during the busy holiday season to travel to Cedar Key and assist with all six drops. These tips would not happened without our generous donors, most of whom have donated multiple times throughout the years: Eric Vaden, Nat Bartholomew, Lakisha Woods, Bob London, Andy and Tracy Rawlings, AB Torres, Cathi Horner, Lowell Aplebaum, Barb Parks, Janice Stephens, Sherry Budziak, Ricky Reynolds, Jennifer Saldana, Danielle Foisy, Damon Dennis, April E, Nicole Araujo, Brad Sundgren, Mike Chamberlain, Eric and Kelly, Alan Alford Sports Talk Show, and The Interesting Conversations Company.