Strangers raise over $250K for 81-year-old waitress who worked her whole life and still couldn’t retire

The Daily Dot has reached out to Tamie Konzier via email, and Eat’n Park via email, for comment.

We’re all working hard for money with how the economy is going these days, but then there is Betty, an 81-year-old waitress living in the Pittsburgh area. One diner overheard Betty say that she couldn’t afford to retire, and after a brief conversation, a new mission was started—one that would help raise over $250,000 for the friendly food service employee.

TikTok user Tamie Konzier (@tamie.lynn), an aesthetician who shares content related to financial wellness and budgeting on her channel, was served by Betty at the Eat’n Park restaurant where she worked on Mar. 26., 2025.

“We heard her tell the table next to us,” Konzier explained in a video she made at the restaurant, “That she only makes $910 a month on Social Security and she has to still work because her bills exceed $910 a month.”

Konzier, who was with her son at the time, decided to donate any money she made from the TikTok Creator Rewards program back to Betty, as a gesture of kindness.

Betty, who has mobility issues, spoke to Konzier off-camera and said that she’s “worked all my life as a waitress and still can’t [retire].”

After chatting some more with Betty and giving her a $40 cash tip (all the money Konzier had in her purse at the time), the content creator turned to the camera and said, “TikTok, do your thing. Make This video go viral, please.”

@tamie.lynn Hoping we can help this sweet lady retire! I think Jen Hamilton could help me do it but I can’t tag her! #viralvideo #fyp #jenhamilton ♬ original sound – Tamie Konzier

Why are people raising money for Betty the waitress?

The TikTok universe followed through: the viral video has over 7.1M views, 1.2M likes, 82.3K saves, and 61.2K comments, of followers thanking Konzier for paying it forward.

“81 and waiting tables. My heart is broken. Please go viral!” wrote TikTok user @sophieandstevie in the comments.

“That’s just not right,” added TikTok user @sandrac8679. “I wish this country would take better care of its people. 81 is too old to be working.”

“This is so incredibly thoughtful,” replied TikTok user @hollybrooke92.

Konzier soon started a GoFundMe campaign for Betty, after multiple people reached out asking how they could help contribute. Others asked if they could Venmo or CashApp her directly.

“You can do that if you trust me,” Konzier stated in a follow-up video that same day. “I mean, I trust me, but if you trust me, you can do that.”

She explained as well that the money she’d earn from the TikTok views wouldn’t be paid for quite some time, but that “as long as it keeps going viral, you keep making money every single day,” reassuring that every penny would go back to Betty.

Gen Z is big on crowdfunding

Providing for oneself financially is becoming increasingly harder these days. Inflation and economic instability have caused prices for everyday goods to soar, and potential changes to Social Security benefits under the Trump administration have many worried about how they will live after retirement if they can afford to retire at all.

One way people are combating financial insecurity is through mutual aid, including crowdfunding campaigns. Interestingly enough, Gen Z is at the helm when it comes to helping others, even if they don’t have a lot of spare cash themselves.

According to GoFundMe’s “Year in Help 2024” report, many crowdfunding campaigns are similar to the one Konzier set up: focused on helping raise cash to cover monthly expenses, particularly medical bills.

Growing up online, it’s no surprise that Gen Z is integral in helping these campaigns reach the right donors. GoFundMe’s “State of Social Giving” report also noted that awareness of online donation campaigns are driven by Gen Zers more than any other age group, and that “half of Gen Z shares causes or fundraisers at least once a week.”

Betty the waitress‘ GoFundMe campaign explodes

On Mar. 27., 2025, Konzier posted an update. “I’m gonna cry,” she said, in a tearful video of herself walking outdoors. “I can’t believe that this happened.”

She explained she was overwhelmed by the flood of donations both to her Venmo account, as well as Betty’s GoFundMe campaign, which reached over $100,000 in less than 24 hours. 

@tamie.lynn Not much of an update but it’s all I have for now! #betty ♬ original sound – Tamie Konzier

Some of Betty’s coworkers reached out to Konzier and “said such nice things about her, like she’s worked so hard and she never complains, and she takes care of so many people.” Konzier added that she’s been in touch with Betty’s manager and that they were going to surprise Betty with the money.

“THIS is what the internet should be used for,” wrote TikTok user @amberc731 in the comments.

In another update, Konzier said that “Betty knows about the money” and that she and the waitress had a lovely conversation about the donations on the phone.

Betty initially heard “$140,” but Konzier said she was “shocked” when she repeated the six-figure total at the time. 

Konzier also mentioned that, while the money could help her do so, Betty isn’t interested in retiring just yet. “She wants to cut down her hours, but she said she doesn’t want to fully retire because it keeps her going,” the TikTok creator explained. “She said working a little bit gets her out of the house, and she enjoys that.”

She also shared the video she recorded while speaking on the phone with Betty. “My family and I are having financial difficulties,” the Eat’n Park server admitted. “This could take care of it.”

‘Don’t be out there trying to get Betty’s money,’

By Mar. 28., 2025, Betty’s GoFundMe campaign had reached $251,301.00. Konzier’s videos continue to reach hundreds of thousands of viewers, and while most of the sentiments are positive, she aesthetician did feel the need to address some issues that rose up as a result of the campaign’s virality. 

“First and foremost, this is not my money, this is Betty’s money,” she began in a followup video. “Please stop reaching out to me, asking me for money. I’m sure a lot of people are struggling right now, but this is not my money to give away and I’m not gonna give it to anyone but her.”

Konzier explained that she also was not going to use her platform to promote other GoFundMe campaigns, that she was only going to use legal recommendations from people she knew personally, and that she was glad Betty wasn’t on social media because the onslaught of requests for the money was getting to be too much.

“While Betty’s story pulled on my heartstrings, other people’s stories and begging for money really doesn’t,” Konzier admitted. “I think it’s because Betty wasn’t asking for money,”

“But I’m sure she’s a good person, and that would pull on her heartstrings,” she continued. “So I’m really happy she doesn’t have access like we do to the internet.”

Konzier ended the video with a stern warning: “If someone comes across Betty in real life or calls her or gives her these sob stories and tries to scam her, I will hunt you the f*ck down,”

“Don’t be out there trying to get Betty’s money,” she emphasized.

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