81-year-old waitress struggled to retire, then tictoc collected $ 328K (exclusive)

• Tamie Konzier’s lunch excursion with her son led to a viral tictoch after she heard her 81-year-old waitress Betty says she could not afford to retire
• Tamie originally thought to use all the means she received from the app’s creator Rewards against Betty’s next tip, but users encouraged her to create a gofundme
• In just a week she collected more than $ 328,000 for Betty, which allowed the older woman to finally consider retirement

A simple lunch excursion between Tamie Konzier and her 10-year-old son was transformed into a life-changing moment for Betty, an 81-year-old waitress.

Betty caught Tamie’s attention not only for her warm behavior but for the visible signs of physical load when working. What Tamie heard the next would affect both their lives forever.

“I just got my heartbeats,” Tamie tells People exclusively. “I could say that she was older and had to limp. Then I heard her tell the table behind me – her usual customers – that she couldn’t retire yet because her social insurance benefits were not enough.”

Betty revealed that she only got more than $ 900 per month in social security, which was not enough to cover her bills. The revelation hit Tamie deep and made her leave a tip of $ 40 and record a ticto video asks the viewers to help make a difference.

Tamie initially hoped that the clip would be viral so that she could use the revenue from Tiktoks Creator Rewards programs to surprise Betty with a bigger tip during her next visit. But within a few hours, the video got traction online and quickly collected millions of views and reasoned deeply with viewers all over the world.

Strangers flooded the comment section with offers to help and urged Tamie to start a Gofundme campaign. “Honestly, I didn’t think of a gofundme,” admits Tamie. “I thought I might earn $ 100 from Tiktok.”

Encouraged by the overwhelming answer, Tamie launched the collection with a first goal of $ 25,000. Donations poured at an unprecedented pace when people felt moved by Betty’s story.

Just a week after meeting Betty, Tamie had collected more than $ 323,000 at Gofundme alone, with additional contributions coming through the Venmo and the Cash app totaling $ 4,650. TikTok revenues from the viral video added another $ 1,544 before taxes.

Tamie met Betty again a week after their first meeting to share the news during lunch. While Betty preferred not to show up on the camera or get his voice recorded for Tiktok, Tamie describes his reaction as deeply emotional.

“She said she had asked for a miracle and now feels like her prayers have been answered,” Tamie says. “She is proud but also very humble of all this.”

Betty’s humility has been clear throughout the process. A single mother who worked tirelessly after losing her husband when her child was young, Betty has spent decades serving others even though they met tough times themselves.

“She is so deserving,” emphasizes Tamie. “To hear stories from her colleagues about how she has been all life makes me feel even better about what we do.”

Although the collection has been overwhelmingly positive, it has not been without its challenges. Betty expressed a strong desire for integrity throughout the process – a request that Tamie has honored despite criticism from some Tiktok users who wanted to see Betty’s reaction caught on video.

“People shout me like,” We wanted to see the disclosure, “but I don’t go against her wishes,” Tamie explains. “She didn’t pray for any of this.”

Tamie also encountered logistical obstacles as donations grew above expectations. In order to ensure openness and protect Betty’s financial interests, she kept lawyers to set up a trust fund that will not affect Betty’s social security benefits. “I want to do this properly,” says Tamie. “It’s more complicated than I expected, but it’s worth it.”

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For Tamie, one of the most rewarding aspects of this experience has been an example for his son Leo, who was present during their first meeting with Betty. “I hope he always knows to be kind to people because I say that every day when (my children) leave – I say be kind to people,” she says. “I hope it teaches him empathy.”

Given the experience as a whole, Tamie hopes that others will be inspired by this story: “If you can help someone, don’t hesitate; just do it,” she simply notes.

Tamie confirmed that the total total sum is raised for Betty amounts to $ 328,739.18 so far – an astonishing amount that allows Betty to finally consider retiring after decades of hard work.

Betty has not decided exactly how she will use the funds yet but plans to prioritize taking care of herself and helping her family. At the moment she remains grateful for what feels like a miracle.

Tamie plans to keep Gofundme open per legal advice but looks forward to closing it when all arrangements have been completed. When she reflects on this whirlwind trip for just a week, she shares: “Betty fully deserves this money and fully deserves her integrity at the same exact time.”