‘Blue Bloods’ Star Donnie Wahlberg Embraces #2020TipChallenge By Leaving Huge Tip for Server at IHOP
Blue Bloods star Donnie Wahlberg made an Illinois woman’s new year a little bit brighter the other day.
The actor and his wife Jenny McCarthy visited an IHOP near their home in St. Charles, Illinois, on Jan. 1. The bill for their meal came to $75.45, but the NKOTB member decided to go above and beyond the standard 20% tip, instead leaving a gratuity of $2,020.
Jenny McCarthy praises her husband’s actions
McCarthy took to social media to praise her husband’s actions. She tweeted a photo of the receipt along with the comment, “@DonnieWahlberg starting 2020 off like the amazing man he is. #ihop #2020tipchallenge.”
On the receipt, Wahlberg wrote, “Thanks Bethany,” along with “Happy New Year” and “2020 tip challenge.” The 2020 tip challenge is a growing trend of leaving servers a tip that is the same as the current year, such as $20.20, $202.00, or $2,020.
Bethany Provencher, the lucky woman who served Wahlberg and McCarthy, said she was blown away by their generosity. “I just started crying. I couldn’t believe it. I mean, who does that? It was a blessing,” she told People. She also said that she was a big fan of New Kids on the Block when she was a kid, which made the gesture even more meaningful. Later, she received a phone call from Wahlberg and was able to personally thank the star.
Provencher isn’t the only server to get a $2,020 tip in recent days. A woman in Michigan received the same amount from an anonymous customer on a $23 bill.
This isn’t the first time that Donnie Wahlberg has left a generous tip
Wahlberg’s latest tip is making headlines, but this isn’t the first time he’s opened his wallet for a server. In 2017, he left big tips for workers at two Waffle House restaurants. Three overnight employees at a location in Edgewood, Maryland, got $500 to split, while the team at a restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, got $2,000 on an $82.60 bill.
While Wahlberg is a wealthy celebrity, he knows that people in the service industry work hard, since his parents worked in bars and restaurants.
“My mom waited tables, and my dad tended bars– for years! So, when I walk into a #WaffleHouse, and the staff treats me like a king, you better believe I treat them like queens! Thanks to the team at @wafflehouseofficial Charlotte, NC! ❤️” he wrote on Instagram.
He even gave a fan tickets to the Super Bowl.
The former teen idol isn’t just generous with servers. In 2019, he surprised a Patriots superfan Adham Majid with two tickets to the Super Bowl. Wahlberg had tickets to the big game but couldn’t make it, and he didn’t want the seats to go to waste.
“Enjoy the game. Since I couldn’t be there. I want the number one Pats fan in America to be there and be able to have a great seat,” he said in a FaceTime chat with Majid.
Read more: Which Wahlberg Brother Has Won More Awards: Mark or Donnie?
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