Donnie Wahlberg leaves IHOP server a $2,020 tip on New Year's Day
Generous gratuity was part of the #2020tipchallenge
Donnie Wahlberg started one IHOP server's new year with a massive, $2,020 tip, according to a tweet by his wife Jenny McCarthy.
Wahlberg was dining at the IHOP in Saint Charles, Ill., on New Year's Day when his server, Bethany, received their check for $78.45.
"@DonnieWahlberg starting 2020 off like the amazing man he is. #ihop #2020tipchallenge" McCarthy's tweet read alongside a picture of the bill.
McCarthy added the hashtag #2020tipchallenge to her tweet after her husband generously tipped $2,020, kicking off a slew of similar acts of kindness to ring in 2020.
The act of kindness seemed to inspire others on social media, as the hashtag generated a number of similar, albeit smaller, acts of generosity, which spread throughout Twitter shortly after McCarthy's tweet of her husband's generous tip went viral.
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Elsewhere, a waitress and single mother at an Alpena, Mich., restaurant received a $2,020 tip on a $23 bill, with the anonymous tipper writing "Happy New Year. 2020 Tip Challenge" on the check, according to a recent CBS News report.
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"They don't know nothing (sic) about my story. They don't know where I've come from. They don't know how hard it's been," server Danielle Franzoni told The Alpena News. "They're really just doing this out of the kindness of their heart."
McCarthy was noticeably absent from "New Year's Rockin' Eve" for the first time since 2010 on Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, instead opting to spend the holiday at home with her husband and teenaged son Evan, according to PEOPLE.
Meanwhile, IHOP kicked off the new year by bringing back its “All You Can Eat Pancakes” promotion, where patrons can order unlimited buttermilk pancakes with a side of any-style eggs, hash browns and a choice of ham, sausage or bacon for just $4.99. The deal runs through March 1 and is available on weekdays only.