LEXINGTON, Ky. (July 13, 2012) — A Lexington family honored a dying man’s wish to go have pizza and give the server a $500 tip.
The story of Aaron Collins’ dying wish has gotten worldwide attention.
In addition to expressing his desire to repay money he owed his parents, Collins, a 30-year-old computer technician who died July 7, told his family he had one request: “Leave an awesome tip (and I don’t mean 25 percent. I mean $500 on a f***ing pizza) for a waiter or waitress.”
The story first surfaced on the blog Fark.
Collins had no money to make his wish come true, so his family raised the cash through a website, after just a few days and then made good on his request.
“The small things people did for him are what touched him the most,” his family wrote.
At Puccini’s restaurant in Lexington on July 10, the family lunched on pizza, and then presented one very lucky waitress with $500.
The moment was captured on video and can be seen here.
After being presented with the tip, the server keeps asking, “Are you serious?”
Then, she promises to share her good fortune with other restaurant staff, and says, “You know, I’m going to be telling this story for the rest of my life.”
The family plans to continue accepting donations via the website and give away big tips every time they raise another $500.
A blog on the website says the family already has received thousands more, “so we will be doing this again soon. Hopefully we can continue changing the lives of random waiters and waitresses for years.”
His family said Collins “lived his life quickly, not holding on to many things and always with a vigor to have experiences not possessions.”
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