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SALT LAKE CITY — Aaron Collins' dying wish was for his family to visit a restaurant and leave a $500 tip.
Collins died July 7, three weeks after turning 30. The Lexington, Ky., man had outlined three things he wanted when he died: to use money in his bank account to repay any debt he owed his parents, to help a homeless person, and to leave someone a really big tip.
"Leave an awesome tip (and I don't mean 25%. I mean $500 on a [expletive] pizza) for a waiter or waitress," he wrote in his will.
His family did not have $500 to give a stranger, though, so they set out asking for donations. They created a website telling Aaron's story, asking for $500 to do something for a man who was always thinking of others.
The $500 was raised, and on July 10, the family went to a Lexington restaurant to surprise an unsuspecting waitress.
"She was surprised, and thought we were playing a trick," Seth Collins, Aaron's brother, said. "She didn't think it was even serious, thought it was some sort of a joke. Then, her reaction changed and suddenly she just wanted to thank us."
The family posted the video of the surprise on YouTube, thinking their final act in fulfilling Aaron's wish would be sharing it with the world, so hopefully others would be inspired to help a stranger.
Leave an awesome tip (and I don't mean 25%. I mean $500 on a ... pizza) for a waiter or waitress.
–Aaron Collins
The world had other plans, though. The video quickly went viral, and within 48 hours, $10,000 had been donated in support of Aaron Collins' last wish. Within a week, that number had grown to more than $44,000 — or 88 waiters and waitresses whose lives will be changed in Aaron Collins' memory, and countless others who will be touched by his story.
"I think we've been seeing that people seem to be really touched by it — their friends, family, other people in line that see it happen in the video," Seth Collins said. "It seems to be spreading generosity, kindness and happiness. People want to be more kind to strangers, and to others in their lives, because this has happened to them."
He said it is a fitting way to remember a man who saw great reward in unexpected kindness — a man who knew it was the small things that had the power to make a difference in people's lives.
"I don't think he had any expectation that it ever would have been like this," Seth Collins said. "He probably would have been pretty thrilled to see the reaction of one person, but this would have been incredible to him. He would never have expected it."
