Dan Simpson has started a GoFundMe fundraiser for the 68-year-old Domino’s deliveryman. Boise, idahoafter a video went viral. When Simpson’s restaurant sold out, he stopped at a convenience store to buy a Diet Coke for a customer. This act of kindness has now earned Simpson a huge bonus.
Customer Brian Wilson didn’t answer his call asking for a soda alternative. Simpson just shrugged, ran across the street and grabbed a pair of 2-liter bottles in preparation for her March 27 delivery.
“On the surface, this may seem like a small move,” Wilson told the Idaho Statesman. “But to us, it felt like it was so much more than that. That kind of thoughtfulness and personal attention feels so rare these days.”
When Simpson arrived, Wilson had no extra cash to tip. When Wilson offered to call the store, Simpson just waved it off.
“Oh, you don’t have to. That’s a good tip,” Simpson said in the video.
Video of their interaction soon went viral on social media.
Who is Dan Simpson?
Simpson was a longtime delivery driver who worked nights to supplement his job with the Idaho Department of Agriculture. He said he was always trying to help others, the New York Post reported.
Simpson said he has been in jail or drunk driving in the past. More than 20 years ago, he finally sobered up and returned to school. However, despite working for many years, he struggled to save for retirement.
“I’ve always tried to be a good person and help others out because I know what it’s like to be poor,” he said.
GoFundMe for Dan Simpson
Wilson was moved by Simpson’s kindness and launched a to fund me For him.
“What Dan doesn’t know is that my wife and I are both visually impaired, so running to the store to pick up an item ‘quickly’ isn’t a simple or easy thing for us,” she said. “It seemed like a small inconvenience to him to fix the problem, but it actually had a huge impact on us.”
Wilson wrote on the GoFundMe page: “Last night, something simple turned into something very special and we can’t stop thinking about it. On a busy Friday night, we ordered dinner from Domino’s and a Diet Coke. While we were waiting, we got a voicemail from Dan, the delivery driver, telling us they were out of Diet Coke… but if we let him know what we wanted, he would be happy to bring something else.”
“We tried calling the store back but he had already left to make a delivery. No big deal, we figured we’d just accept whatever substitution came with the order,” Wilson added. “But when Dan arrived, he surprised us. He apologized again for the inconvenience and then told us… that he came to the store personally to buy us Diet Cokes. On a busy Friday night. During a delivery. Completely beyond his own time and energy. We were honestly blown away. This level of care and kindness is rare these days.”
Wilson further explained, “We wanted to give him a bigger tip but didn’t have the cash on hand. We told him we would call the store to leave a positive review and come back with a cash tip. That’s when Dan shared something that made the moment even more meaningful: He had been working his second job at Domino’s for 14 years…and he was retiring in a few weeks.”
Wilson said that after the overwhelming response on TikTok, he thought it would be great if the community could come together to give Simpson “the send-off he deserves.”
“Let us help him feel appreciated, supported and celebrated in retirement,” Wilson wrote.
As of this writing, $66,943 has been raised of the 70KUSD goal.
Simpson said he plans to continue delivering pizza for Domino’s. He also hopes to use GoFundMe funds to visit the redwood trees california.
“They said I put in extra effort, but for God’s sake it’s no big deal,” he said. “Well, now I’d probably go to Hawaii. Actually, I’d rather go to Melba.”
