The Big Fat Tip

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The Big Fat Tip Surprising randomly selected U.S. service workers with $1,000 tips. We are a 501(c)(3). bigfattip.org

Note: We do not accept requests for $ or nominations for others to receive these tips because everyone needs a little money & a lot of positive energy!

09/15/2026

The Big Fat Tip® #97 – Conner's Kitchen + Bar – Indianapolis, Indiana – August 2026

Third surprise of ASAE week. One server. $1,000. By the convention center.

Nat Bartholomew and Cameron Curtis brought so much joy to the giving that it was hard to tell who felt it more.

A positive surprise marks the server’s memory. Giving gives volunteers the helper’s high. Different effects. Same direction: hope moving outward.

Big Fat Thanks to our donors: Cameron Curtis and C2 Association Strategies, Lowell Aplebaum, Bob London, Cathi Horner, and birthday donors Anne Nevel and Kim Henderson Wheeler, Bon Ton Glass, Inc., and monthly tipping titans Brad Sundgren and Mike Chamberlain.

09/15/2026

The Big Fat Tip® #96 – Loughmiller's Pub and Eatery – Indianapolis, Indiana – August 2026

One server at Loughmiller's Pub and Eatery received a surprise $1,000 tip during the ASAE Annual Meeting.

Randomly selected by the convention center because the conference schedule was tight.

Special thanks to Bob London, Stacey Robinson, and Ashlee Sundermann. They were all in. Their joy in giving was unmistakable.

Doing something nice for someone else without expecting anything in return changes brain chemistry. The server gets a dopamine spike from the surprise. The volunteers get the helper’s high. The ripple is real because both sides walk away different.

Most surprises in life are negative. They are often a sudden death, job loss, or a car accident.

Meanwhile, most of us live on autopilot: doing the same things, saying the same things, eating the same things. Hours blend into days. Days blend into weeks. Weeks blend into years. It's all a blur.

Often the only memories that stick out are the bad ones.

Doing something nice for someone else in a big way creates a positive, memorable moment that can last a lifetime. That's why we hand out these big tips to people working in the U.S. service industry.

BIG FAT THANKS to our donors: Cameron Curtis and C2 Association Strategies, Lowell Aplebaum, Bob London, Cathi Horner and her birthday donors Anne Nevel and Kim Henderson Wheeler, Bon Ton Glass, Inc., and monthly tipping titans Brad Sundgren and Mike Chamberlain.

09/15/2026

One server. One $1,000 surprise tip. ASAE Annual Meeting in Indianapolis. Her first. Our 95th.

Saint Joseph Brewery and Public House was randomly picked from a group of breweries. Lowell Aplebaum is a b**r aficionado who hosts B**r Bros tastings for groups like the Florida Society of Association Executives.

Huge love to Lowell, Rhea Steele, and Tori Miller Liu. They were buzzing with joy!

Doing something nice for someone else without expecting anything in return changes brain chemistry. The server gets a dopamine spike from the surprise. The volunteers get the helper’s high. The ripple is real because both sides walk away different.

Most surprises in life are negative. They are often a sudden death, job loss, or a car accident.

Meanwhile, most of us live on autopilot: doing the same things, saying the same things, eating the same things. Hours blend into days. Days blend into weeks. Weeks blend into years. It's all a blur.

Often the only memories that stick out are the bad ones.

Doing something nice for someone else in a big way creates a positive, memorable moment that can last a lifetime. That's why we hand out these big tips to people working in the U.S. service industry.

Donors for this trio: Cameron Curtis and C2 Association Strategies, Lowell Aplebaum, Bob London, Cathi Horner and birthday donors Anne Nevel and Kim Henderson Wheeler, Bon Ton Glass, Inc., and monthly tipping titans Brad Sundgren and Mike Chamberlain.

08/19/2026

Big Fat Tip #97 happened today Connor’s Kitchen + Bar in Indianapolis!

08/16/2026

Big Fat Tip #96 happened yesterday at Loughmiller's Pub and Eatery in Indianapolis!

08/15/2026

Big Fat Tip #95 happened last night at St. Joseph Brewery in Indianapolis!

06/17/2026

The Big Fat Tip® #94 – Barrel Bar w/Louisville Comedy Club – Louisville, Kentucky – March 2026

Fresh off the keynote stage at the National Glass Association’s BEC Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, we kept the kindness flowing with The Big Fat Tip #94!

Thanks to a generous anonymous $1,000 donation and the recommendation of long-time supporter Lakisha Woods (President & CEO of the National Glass Association), we surprised a hardworking team member at Barrel Bar — the lively spot serving drinks and food to patrons of the Louisville Comedy Club. 💛

When Deedre asked the audience for volunteers, three wonderful people jumped right in. Together, we made a stranger’s day and made new friendships in the process. The recipient’s thrilled reaction warmed all our hearts!

Our mission stays strong: delivering hope and unforgettable moments to U.S. service industry workers through surprise $1,000 tips.

We like to hold off on sharing these videos immediately after we give out the money so the kindness can land fully before the world sees it, giving recipients time to peacefully enjoy the gift. Posting now brings more positivity into the feed and gives well-deserved recognition to our supporters.

BIG FAT THANKS to our anonymous donor who made this drop possible, and to Lakisha Woods for the connection that helped it happen!

HUGE thanks to the three amazing audience volunteers (Philip Brady, Lisa Smith, and Sean Weir) who stepped up on the spot!

Watch the joy unfold and feel the ripple effect!

06/14/2026

The Big Fat Tip® #93 – Naan on Broughton – Savannah, Georgia – February 14, 2026

Wrapping up our special 7th anniversary Valentine's Day series in Savannah with one final BIG FAT surprise! The wonderful team at Naan on Broughton received a $1,000 tip from The Big Fat Tip 501(c)(3) — completing our set of seven drops. 💛

For seven years, we've stayed true to our mission: lifting up U.S. service industry workers with unexpected generosity and lasting memories. We deliberately time the release of these videos to prioritize the recipients' peaceful enjoyment of the gift before going public. Now feels like the perfect moment to share as we celebrate our sponsors and spread extra positivity in a busy world.

BIG FAT THANKS to our generous sponsors who made these 7 drops possible: Eric Vaden, Nat Bartholomew, Mark Dorsey, Speedeon, George McCorkell, Lucas McCann, Lu Fitzwater, Bob London, Justin Batten, Brian Andrews, Profitable Association, Inc., Cathi Horner, Nicholas Perdiew, Dominique Stumpf, Steve Harwood, .orgSource, Mighty Citizen, Nicole Araujo, Doug Morris, Brad Sundgren, and Mike Chamberlain.

HUGE thanks to our amazing volunteers who traveled on their own dime: Elizabeth Markiewicz (who flew in from Queens, NY and joined all 7 drops), Redoyka Shepley and Ranniece McDonald (who drove from Charlotte, NC for the first two), and Jack Constantine (Savannah local college student and son of my Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority sister—met him minutes before one of the drops!).

Enjoy the last heartwarming reaction in this series!

06/13/2026

Title: The Big Fat Tip® #92 – LuLus Chocolate Bar- Savannah, Georgia – February 14, 2026

At the heart of what we do is creating joyful, unexpected moments for hardworking service professionals nationwide. These videos are shared with intention — after a short delay that lets the kindness land fully before the world sees it. Releasing them now highlights our sponsors' ongoing support and brings much-needed good news into the feed.

BIG FAT THANKS to our generous sponsors who made these 7 drops possible: Eric Vaden, Nat Bartholomew, Mark Dorsey, Speedeon, George McCorkell, Lucas McCann, Lu Fitzwater, Bob London, Justin Batten, Brian Andrews, Profitable Association, Inc., Cathi Horner, Nicholas Perdiew, Dominique Stumpf, Steve Harwood, .orgSource, Mighty Citizen, Nicole Araujo, Doug Morris, Brad Sundgren, and Mike Chamberlain.

HUGE thanks to our amazing volunteers who traveled on their own dime: Elizabeth Markiewicz (who flew in from Queens, NY and joined all 7 drops), Redoyka Shepley and Ranniece McDonald (who drove from Charlotte, NC for the first two), and Jack Constantine (Savannah local college student and son of my Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority sister—met him minutes before one of the drops!).

See the happiness in action!

06/11/2026

The Big Fat Tip® #92 – LuLus Chocolate Bar– Savannah, Georgia – February 14, 2026

At the heart of what we do is creating joyful, unexpected moments for hardworking service professionals nationwide. These videos are shared with intention — after a short delay that lets the kindness land fully before the world sees it. Releasing them now highlights our sponsors' ongoing support and brings much-needed good news into the feed.

BIG FAT THANKS to our generous sponsors who made these 7 drops possible: Eric Vaden, Nat Bartholomew, Mark Dorsey, Speedeon, George McCorkell, Lucas McCann, Lu Fitzwater, Bob London, Justin Batten, Brian Andrews, Profitable Association, Inc., Cathi Horner, Nicholas Perdiew, Dominique Stumpf, Steve Harwood, .orgSource, Mighty Citizen, Nicole Araujo, Doug Morris, Brad Sundgren, and Mike Chamberlain.

HUGE thanks to our amazing volunteers who traveled on their own dime: Elizabeth Markiewicz (who flew in from Queens, NY and joined all 7 drops), Redoyka Shepley and Ranniece McDonald (who drove from Charlotte, NC for the first two), and Jack Constantine (Savannah local college student and son of my Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority sister—met him minutes before one of the drops!).

See the happiness in action!

Address

502 East Main Street
Lakeland, FL
33801

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18636024688

Website

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