A $1,000 Christmas tip left by 10 friends for a Michigan waitress left her breathless and has become another measure of goodwill during this holiday season. Turns out, it was planned ahead of time.
Mary Lively, the waitress at Theo & Stacy's restaurant in Kalamazoo, was stunned Monday morning by the gesture after serving the group. The money, in $100 bills, had placed in an envelope with a card signed by all them, WWJ-TV reported.
She had just cheerfully finished serving the table which had run up a $70 tab, according to WWMT-TV.
"I've been here since '94," said Lively. "I like the people, I enjoy serving people food. That's what I know, that's what I've done all my life."
Instead of a tip, Mike "Tonto" Alexander handed Lively the envelope.
Lively said she was "breathless" about the gesture.
Alexander told WWJ-TV he got the idea of the "Secret Santa" tip from a business friend in California.
"He said gather 10 friends and you each pitch in $100," Alexander said. "It's not that much for one person to give, but it's a $1,000 tip for someone."
He said they decided to give the gift at Theo & Stacy’s restaurant because of its reputation for being charity-minded.
"They're self-made people and every year they feed all the homeless for Thanksgiving and Christmas," Alexander told WWJ-TV. "They volunteer their holiday to feed hundreds of people. They're always doing wonderful things for the community, why not do something for their staff."
Alexander said having Lively serve them proved a perfect fit.
"She waited on us and I said 'This is the lady,'" Alexander said. "You could see how kind she was. Some of the guys who were with me, they knew her parents from when they had their own little restaurant. It couldn’t have gone any better."
Lively said she has a car note due and a few other bills, but plans to spend the rest on gifts for the family.
"All these years being a waitress I finally got a bonus," Lively told WWMT-TV. "A good one too!"