Strangers have raised more than $133,000 for a Domino’s delivery driver who went viral for a kind gesture.
Boise resident Brian Wilson launched a GoFundMe for the driver, identified in media reports as 68-year-old Dan Simpson, after he went above and beyond in delivering his order.
According to the GoFundMe page, Wilson ordered food and a Diet Coke from Domino’s on a “busy Friday night.” Afterward, Simpson left a voicemail letting Wilson know the restaurant was out of Diet Coke and that he could bring something else.
“We tried calling the store back, but he had already left for delivery. No big deal, we figured we’d just take whatever substitution came with the order,” Wilson wrote on the GoFundMe.
“But when Dan arrived, he surprised us. He apologized again for the inconvenience and then told us… he had stopped at the store himself to pick up Diet Coke for us,” he added.
Footage of the delivery, which was captured on Wilson’s Ring doorbell camera, has amassed nearly 3 million views on TikTok. The viral video shows Simpson walking up to the door and explaining how he stopped at the store to pick up the customer’s soda.
Wilson then learned that Simpson was about to retire.
“We wanted to tip him more, but didn’t have cash on hand. We told him we’d call the store to leave a glowing review and come back with a cash tip,” Wilson wrote on the GoFundMe page.
“That’s when Dan shared something that made this moment even more meaningful: He’s been working at Domino’s as a second job for 14 years… and he’s retiring in just a few weeks,” he added.
Wilson hopes the fundraiser will help Simpson go into retirement “feeling appreciated, supported, and celebrated.” More than 6,000 people have already donated to support Simpson’s retirement as of Wednesday afternoon.
Wilson told The Idaho Statesman he especially appreciated Simpson’s gesture because he and his wife are visually impaired.
“What Dan didn’t know is that my wife and I are both visually impaired, so running out to the store for a ‘quick’ pickup is not something that is simple or easy for us,” he said. “What may have seemed like a tiny inconvenience to solve on his end actually made a huge difference on ours.”
Simpson, who also works at the Idaho Department of Agriculture, told The Idaho Statesman he’s struggled to save enough for retirement. He also explained that he once went to prison on a DUI charge, but afterward got sober and went back to school.
“I don’t think I work any harder than anyone else,” Simpson told the newspaper. “I’ve always tried to be a pretty nice guy and help people out, because I know what it’s like to be down and out.”
Wilson and his wife shared an update Wednesday.
“Your donations and messages have overwhelmed him with gratitude after so many years of hard work, sacrifice, and rebuilding,” they wrote on the GoFundMe page. “We can assure all of you that this money is going directly to Dan to support his retirement and giving him some breathing room.”
“From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for seeing Dan, for celebrating goodness, and for reminding us that doing the right thing still matters,” they added.
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