An Idaho Domino’s delivery worker whose small act of kindness went viral has retired after kind strangers helped raise more than $170,000.
Dan Simpson, 68, known locally as “Dan the Man,” said the surprise windfall allowed him to step away from years of grinding work from his job with the pizza chain in Boise, Idaho, earlier than planned.
“I got up this morning … and I checked my bank account and there was $163,000, what a retirement gift that was,” Simpson told KTVB Idaho on Friday. The donations have now hit $171,375.
Simpson shot to internet fame in March after a family’s doorbell camera captured him telling a customer he had bought their Diet Cokes with his own money when the store ran out during his delivery.
“Oh, you don’t need to. It’s a good tip,” he told customer Brian Wilson, who offered to reimburse him for the beverage.
The video spread quickly online after Wilson posted it on TikTok, drawing millions of views and prompting him to launch a GoFundMe campaign that far exceeded its original goal.
“What Dan didn’t know is that my wife and I are both visually impaired, so running out to the store for a ‘quick’ pickup is not something that is simple or easy for us,” Wilson told the Idaho Statesman at the time.
“What may have seemed like a tiny inconvenience to solve on his end actually made a huge difference on ours.”
Longtime delivery driver Simpson, who also worked for the Idaho Department of Agriculture, said he’s now ready for a slower pace.
“I’m ready for normal again,” he told KTVB Idaho. “I got up today thinking, well, I’ll never get another phone call for an interview.”
Instead of splurging on his funds, Simpson said he plans to keep things simple and “buy a decent van.”
He hopes to travel back roads, take photographs and possibly head to the coast.
Simpson also spoke openly about his past, including struggles with addiction and time in prison.
“I got in a lot of trouble with drinking and drugs,” he said. “When I got out, I said, ‘That’s it.’ I knew I’d never drink again.”
He said he has been sober for nearly 24 years and worked multiple jobs after his release.
“Ever since I stepped out of prison, I’ve basically worked two jobs and worked hard and tried to do the right thing,” he said.
Now financially stable, Simpson said he wants to help others dealing with addiction.
“Maybe get them grounded in something that doesn’t make drugs and alcohol necessary in their life,” he said.
Despite retiring, he plans to keep delivering pizzas on weekends.
“So thank you, Boise. Thank you, Treasure Valley,” Simpson said. “You made my life quite a little bit easier.”
Read the full article here