Waitress who foot firefighters' bill is repaid in the most amazing way
One good turn deserves another.
A waitress decided to foot the bill for two firefighters after overhearing that one of them had just battled a fire for about 12 hours without stopping to eat.
Ms Liz Woodward, 24, served them their order at around 5.30am at the 130 Diner in New Jersey and paid for it out of her own pocket.
When they called for the bill, she gave them a handwritten note instead.
PHOTO: FACEBOOK/TIM YOUNG
It read: "Your breakfast is on me today – Thank you for all that you do; for serving others and for running into the places everyone else runs away from.
"No matter your role, you are courageous, brave, and strong... Thank you for being bold and badass everyday! Fueled by fire and driven by courage – what an example you are. Get some rest!"
One of the firefighters, Mr Tim Young, was so touched by her gesture that he wrote about it on Facebook, urging his friends to "make a trip out and support the business".
He added that "if Liz happens to be your waitress, tip big".
Pass it on
Word quickly spread of Ms Woodward's generous gesture, and of the fact that for the past seven months, she had been trying to raise money on fundraising platform GoFundMe to buy a special van for her wheelchair-bound father.
People around the world rallied to give back to the kind-hearted Ms Woodward by making a donation towards her cause.
She has now raised US$69,547 (S$96,000), more than four times her goal of US$17,000.
Ms Woodward took to Facebook on Monday (Aug 3) to thank everyone who had helped.
"To be quite honest, I never thought I'd ever even know either of their names – Paul and Tim – let alone see or speak to them again – because it didn't matter. What mattered was that there was an opportunity to put a smile on someone's face. That's it."
She added: "Thank you, all of you beautiful human beings, for making this dream possible. Always remember that even the smallest of gestures – like A SMILE – can turn your life around or it holds within it the power to change someone else’s life. Be kind – ALWAYS."
Sources: Facebook/Liz Woodward, Facebook/Tim Young, Mirror
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