Christmas surprise: Waitress receives $1,500 tip after customer calls for donations online

Denise Lewis was having a normal day at work waitressing at a Texas Roadhouse in Huber Heights, Ohio. Little did she know she was going to receive a Christmas surprise by the end of her shift.

Customer Megan Berkshire was out for dinner with family and friends on Dec. 16 when she had an idea. Inspired by Christmas spirit, she decided to ask her friends on Facebook to help support their waitress's tip that night.

"My idea was to get as much donations for a Christmas to for our server," Berkshire told "World News Tonight." "Whatever ended up in my Venmo account was her blessing for the night."

Berkshire shared her Venmo, a mobile payment system, where friends could send money to her online. Within minutes, Berkshire said hundreds of dollars poured in from friends.

"I remember her taking my order and my Venmo account going 'cha-ching, cha-ching, cha-ching,'" said Berkshire.

By the end of the night, Berkshire said her husband went to the ATM to withdraw the $1,500 cash tip for Lewis.

"At the end, we asked [Lewis] to come over and I asked her permission to be recorded," said Berkshire. "There was a hundred people logged on to see her reaction."

When Lewis saw the generous tip, she was overcome with emotion in a video that was shared on Facebook.

"OMG, are you serious right now?" Lewis said in the video. "Thank you so much. I appreciate it."

Berkshire said that this Christmas gift was about coming together for others.

"[I had] tears of pure joy. A community coming together and to spread holiday joy," she said.

Lewis said she had been laid off from a previous job during the pandemic and was grateful for Berkshire and the generosity of strangers during this holiday season.

"I couldn't believe it. It's a moment I'll always remember. ... I cannot thank her enough for what she's done," Lewis told "World News Tonight." "It's helped me. It's helped my family. I'm still shocked."