Other Big Fat Tips in Cities Around the United States!

BIG FAT THANKS to our volunteers and donors who made this drop happen in Long Beach, California, during a break in their conference schedule. The server was so happy! Christy Gandy has been an enthusiastic supporter and donor since we met her at Non Dues-a-Palooza in 2023. She has donated, convinced others to donate, and pulled in other enthusiastic supporters and volunteers, like Michael Rubin and Mackenzie Hill. Special thanks to our sponsors of this tip: The Florida Ports Council, Rob Olcott and Brad Sundgren!

Check out the smiles for miles from this server. A surprise sets off a complex cascade of neurological events and chemicals that engage various parts of the brain. All the reactions are different, and people often respond in surprising ways. It took her a while to process what happened. She told us later that no one had ever given her a tip that large before, and she was stunned.  What you don't see in the video is the excitement the four selected volunteers shared, who were thrilled to participate in this random act of kindness. They laughed and bonded, and two had a dance-off in the parking lot after the drop.  When you perform a kind and unexpected act for someone else, your brain also experiences a series of neurological events. The chemicals released and the resulting feelings become a symphony of joy, connection, and fulfillment. It's like giving your brain a bouquet of emotional flowers, nurturing it while spreading warmth and happiness to others.  Acts of kindness are scientifically proven to contribute to long-term happiness and well-being. Over time, engaging in unexpected kindness can lead to lasting changes in the brain, enhancing overall emotional resilience and creating a positive feedback loop of altruism and happiness. It's true: Giving is better than receiving.  That leads us to thank our sponsor, The HDA - Healthcare Distribution Alliance, who paid entirely for this tip and offered it as an experience for some conference attendees to enjoy after the evening reception. Thanks to ? Anne Nevel, CAE, and Perry Fri for facilitating this gift. And a special shout out to our volunteers (and new friends): Tracy Nasarenko, Pam Forster, Maria Fernanda Garcia Hay, MBS, and Rhonda Woloshun, MBA. 

We love the reaction from this server, and we hope those kittens he saved will be OK! Huge thanks to our donors who made this tip possible: Mark Dorsey, Nicole Araujo, Paul Miller, Brad Sundgren, Alina Cooper from Catalina Solutions, and Kate Dietz. Big Fat Thanks to the Miller family, who were our volunteers of the day. They were excited to create a positive, memorable moment for our recipient.

We kicked off 2024 by dropping Big Fat Tip #56 on January 1st! Jeff De-Cagna has long supported our little organization because it touches on a topic near his heart. Adolfo De Cagna, Jeff's late father, was formally trained in restaurant service and worked in Europe before immigrating to the United States. Throughout Jeff's childhood, Adolfo was a maître d' and restaurateur in the New York area, and he taught Jeff the importance of showing thanks and appreciation to hardworking restaurant staff through gratuities. Jeff is turning 56 in March, and he wanted to fund the 56th drop even though it wouldn't happen on his birthday. So, he's celebrating early, which was perfect timing for our recipients. Our volunteer, Cindy Ocasio Roach, was thrilled to participate in such a sweet moment. Thanks to Jeff and his wife, Meeghan Donahue De Cagna, for making several people's days. Watch the video to see their reactions.

We handed out The Big Fat Tip® #50 on December 11, 2023. Big Fat thanks to our volunteer of the day, Trent Modglin owner of Venture Forth Media and Publisher of The Real Park Ridge, Illinois Brewing, and The Real Chicago magazines. HUGE thanks to the donors who made this milestone tip possible: Mark Dorsey, Nicole Yackanicz Araujo, Cathi Eifert Horner, Eric Thomas, Brad Sundgren, Christy Gandy, Angela Felts Gieras, and Brandy Swecker ower of Bliss Heath Spa in Lakeland. Without you, there wouldn't be any more big fat tips. Thank you for helping us spread joy, hope, and positive, memorable moments for people working hard in the U.S. service industry. #randomactsofkindness #service #bigfattip

The story behind this surprise $1,000 tip (#49) has many layers: 1) Our founder, Deedre Daniel, served at Applebees in 1997 in Tallahassee, Florida, where she vowed to herself to "one day hand out big fat tips to strangers." She wanted to drop this tip off at the same restaurant she worked in back then, but something seemed off when she walked in the door. It would have made sense that they remodeled, but the front door was in a different place, and the restaurant felt like it was on the wrong side of the road. After they made the drop, Deedre did some investigating, and it seems that the old restaurant may have been demolished, but this new one was built across the street. It's the thought that matters, right? 🙂 2) Big Fat Tip #48 was given out in Scottsdale and paid for entirely by Mark Dorsey, FASAE, CAE - CEO of Construction Specifications Institute. Deedre asked audience members watching her keynote at the Council of State Restaurant Associations conference in Scottsdale to help her surprise a stranger with a $1,000 tip on the way to the evening reception and dinner. Four people enthusiastically volunteered to join her on the excursion: Jennifer Norman, CAE, Vice President at Novi AMS, and Heather Singleton, COO of RI Hospitality Association & RI Hospitality Education Foundation (The other two preferred not to be featured in the video, but loved the experience of watching it all happen live.) Suzanne Egan Bohle, who is the Vice President of CSRA, loved the mission of The Big Fat Tip® and that some of her members could participate in this special moment. She wanted to pay it forward and donated $1,000 for the next one, which is how we had the funds for this tip (#49). 3) The volunteers who handed over the money for #49 were also recruited from the audience, this time at the Florida Society of Association Executives December Power Luncheon in Tallahassee, where Deedre delivered a 40-minute stand-up comedy set. 4) Three people in that audience enthusiastically volunteered to hand over the $1,000 tip: Michelle Waddell, Sales Manager at Hard Rock Hotel Daytona Beach, Betty Ann Lewis, Senior Sales Manager at The Shores Resort & Spa, and Alexis Langley, CAE, Customer Experience Manager at CharityEngine. That's a lot of layers! Now, watch the video. Get some tissues. This "behind the scenes" story is a perfect example of the real Power of Associations and how people connected to them enthusiastically come together to impact lives every day.

We dropped this tip on the way to the Council of State Restaurant Associations conference reception and dinner in Scottsdale. We wrote the names of several open businesses that were close to the reception and drew Buca di Beppo! The recipient was working so hard! She was making drinks for the entire restaurant, taking orders/running out food to a section, training a new hire, and dealing with inventory and other projects simultaneously. Her reaction brought tears to our eyes. BIG FAT THANKS to our sponsor of this tip, Mark Dorsey, and our volunteers of the day, Jenn Norman and Heather Singleton!

Check out the reaction this college student had when we surprised him with $1,000 tip on one slice of Key Lime Pie! Big Fat Thanks to Anne Nevel and the ladies of The Sleepover, who made this tip possible. Special thanks to our volunteer of the day, Carla Howard! 

After we placed our order at this American Indian Eatery, we discovered the credit card machine would not accept a $1,000 tip! It took a while to figure out a way around it. This tech issue often arises. The programmers never thought a guest would tip more than three figures—super-special shout-out to Christy, who may have hacked this tech issue for us in the future.  It was all smiles from the employees who got to split the money.  Big Fat Thanks to our anonymous donor who paid for this tip. Special thanks to our volunteers of the day: Melissa Mack, Christy Gandy, and Karim Cheikh. Heartfelt thanks to C. Dallas Golden, DES, for some of the shots used in this video

Our server saw the tip amount before we could prompt her to "check the math for us." She told us she had been praying for help with a family situation, and we had just given her hope. That just so happens to be our mission: to Deliver Hope and Create Positive, Memorable Moments for People Working in the U.S. Service Industry. Mission accomplished. (And tears all around.) Big Fat Thanks to our volunteer of the day, Liz De Leon, and our anonymous donor, who covered the total cost of this tip.