89-year-old pizza driver gets enormous tip from TikTok fans

A kindly octogenarian pizza delivery man has become “TikTok famous” after an appreciative family gave him a $12,000 tip for a pizza delivery — and his reaction will tug at your heart strings.

89-year-old pizza delivery man goes viral

Derlin Newey, 89, had taken up a 30-hour week working as a pizza delivery man in Utah, and gained some loyal customers – one family in particular happened to have a pretty big TikTok following, and they uploaded their interactions with Derlin. When their followers started asking why an 89-year-old was still working so hard, the family hatched a plan for a special delivery of their own.

Derlin Newey is always so kind, the Valdez family ask for him by name whenever they order pizza

An 89-year-old man from Weber County, Utah, has become “TikTok famous” after a family gave him a huge tip for delivering pizza.

When Carlos Valdez craves pizza, he chooses Papa John’s in Roy. “I love pineapple on my pizza,” he told KGET News with a laugh. “That’s the only thing my wife loves.”

However, it’s not so much because they think it’s the best-tasting pizza in the area, but more because of the delivery guy. The Valdez family have got to know Derlin Newey from his deliveries to their house. “Hello, are you looking for some pizza?” is the catchphrase Newey uses every time he delivers a pizza.

Newey is always so kind, the Valdezes ask for him by name whenever they order. They also record his deliveries for their TikTok videos, which have become pretty popular with their 53,000-plus followers. “It’s insane. Everybody loves him,” said Valdez. One comment that kept coming up is why an 89-year-old man was delivering pizzas. A lot of people commented they felt sad for him.

“Somebody at that age should not be working that much,” said Valdez. So, the Valdezes got an idea. Using their popular @vendingheads TikTok name, they asked their followers to donate a little money to help Newey out if they could. They thought maybe they’d get a few dollars. Instead, they got a lot more.

“Collectively as a TikTok community, we all came together, and we were able to raise $12,000 for this amazing person,” said Valdez.

Continued below…

Source: Deseret.com

A delivery he never expected proves being kind is priceless

On the morning of Tuesday 22 September, Carlos Valdez and his wife and daughter went to 89-year-old pizza delivery guy Derlin Newey’s house to surprise him with a special delivery of their own. “Good morning, dude! How you doing?” Valdez said when Newey opened the door.

Newey figured they were going to give him a T-shirt with the words “Hello, are you looking for some pizza?” on it. They did indeed bring the T-shirt, but he had no idea he was about to get another huge surprise.

“We collectively collected a gift for you, and I’m here to deliver that gift to you on behalf of the TikTok community,” Valdez said.

Newey didn’t know what TikTok was. “Is that an online group you communicate with each other through the telephone?” he asked.

What he did know, though, was what $12,000 looked like. Even then, he still couldn’t believe it. “How do I ever say thank you? I don’t know what to say,” Newey said with tears in his eyes. 

Turns out, he lives alone in his mobile home and started delivering pizzas because he can’t afford his bills on Social Security alone.

“I work about 30 hours a week,” said Newey. Now, with this money from strangers, maybe he won’t have to work so hard. “I don’t know what to say, except thank you,” he said.

It’s a delivery he never expected, proving being kind is priceless.

“This couldn’t have gone any better,” said Valdez. “He needed this. I’m just glad we could help him. We just need to treat people with kindness and respect the way he does. He stole our hearts.”

Source: Deseret.com