After witnessing a Domino’s employee fall while delivering pizzas to their home earlier this month, a South Carolina family wanted to bless the hard-working woman, who was about to retire, by giving her a generous tip.
Lacey Keighron and her family decided they were going to create a GoFundMe account to give the final “tip” for 72-year-old Barbara Gillespie as much exposure as possible.
Keighron shared the fundraiser on her Facebook page and it took off, raising over $262,000 for the delivery driver as of Thursday night.
“She is an older woman who fell and only cared about the food she dropped. Let’s show her some kindness and take off some of this burden that our economy is causing the older generations especially!!” Keighron wrote in the fundraiser’s description.
In a TikTok update on Feb. 9, Keighron said Gillespie put in her two-week notice and is “officially retiring.”
In 2022, Gillespie was honored with her store’s Team Member of the Year award. In a statement to FOX Television Stations, Domino’s said Gillespie is a “beloved member of our family.”
“She is also a favorite of our customers and always has a smile on her face. We are all very thrilled that these caring customers were able to help her transform her life so meaningfully. We are very happy for her,” the statement continued.
Doorbell camera footage posted on Keighron’s TikTok page showed Gillespie deliver pizzas to the family’s home on Feb. 2. When she stepped up onto the porch, she tripped and dropped a bag and a few pizza boxes she was carrying.
Keighron’s husband is then seen coming out the front door and offering to help the woman get back up.
Keighron told FOX TV Stations her family talks with Gillespie on a daily basis. She said her family was motivated to bless Gillespie because both her father and father-in-law retired late in life, and both died from terminal cancer.
“It really resonated in our hearts when we saw her still working at her age and reminded us of both our fathers,” she continued.
The State in South Carolina reported that Keighron contacted the local Domino’s manager to get Gillespie’s last name so she could make her the beneficiary on the GoFundMe account. The media outlet also said Keighron and her daughters visited the Domino’s store Gillespie worked at to tell her the good news in person.
Gillespie’s last day with Domino’s was Thursday, Feb. 16, according to The State.
Keighron said Gillespie plans to take a cruise and travel to Europe during her retirement.