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2020 Tip Challenge Surprises Restaurant Workers With Huge Tips After Donnie Wahlburg's Inspiration

CHICAGO (CBS) -- When Donnie Wahlberg gave a waitress a $2,020 tip in November he hoped it would inspire others to do something generous, and it worked. Two Chicago area women followed his lead.

CBS 2's Tara Molina found the waitress they surprised.

They call it the 2020 Tip Challenge. They are pooling donations to leave big tips for restaurants workings struggling in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Their first tip went to Selena Ryan at the Dakota Inn.

After the year she has had, Ryan said finding out she just got a $2,020 tip meant everything.

"The house I was renting burned down, and I lost my two dogs," she said. "There's still good people in the world."

They mean everything.

"It was such a blessing what they did for m and what they're still doing today," Ryan said.

Megan Oeser and Nikki Gamboa are the two best friends behind the movement in Chicago's southwest suburbs inspiring people across the globe.

"We have ten kids between us," said Gamboa. "This is honestly the most we've been out. We've done Palos Heights. We've done Crestwood. We've done Oak Forest."

"It's kind of cool to watch the domino effect of all of it," said Oeser.

They both have experience in restaurants, so when they saw how workers, who depend on tips, are struggling, they decided to do something about it and took to social media to crowdfund donations.

"It's on behalf of hundreds of people on Facebook. We're just like the messenger that delivers it," said Oeser.

These messengers did not expect the support and donations received from everywhere to help total strangers.

"I'd like to keep going for months if we could," said Oeser.

Whether it's $2 or $200, they say each donation is about more than a hashtag or a challenge. They are reminders that even in a tough year, a tough time, people care.

"This is really special," said Ryan.

Since they started a few weeks ago, they have raised more than $7,000 and helped 10 different restaurants workers so far.

The women are crowdfunding on Facebook.

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