One New Year's day, IHOP waitress Bethany Provencher showed up for what she thought would be a regular shift.
Instead, she was confused about which was more shocking, the size of one tip she got or the "familiar" person who left it for her.
A Tip For The New Year
A typical day at work for IHOP waitress Bethany Provencher quickly became one she would never forget.
With her jaw on the floor, Provencher watched as a recognizable figure walked in.
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Goodbye Florida, Hello Illinois
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Unassuming, Bethany showed up for work, keeping her struggles to herself.
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Provencher and her son moved to Illinois in 2019 from Florida. The single mother of one did not travel an easy road.
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Next Stop, Illinois
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While Florida had nice weather, it did nothing to enhance Bethany's happiness.
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She knew living closer to her only sister would bring her joy. So she bought a one-way plane ticket for herself and her son.
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Bethany Believed In Herself And Her Plan
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Packing up her son and their belongings and heading for Illinois took some courage and confidence for Provencher.
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She was contacted by relatives in Illinois offering a place for them to stay, and Bethany had no doubt she could find work quickly.
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Congratulations Bethany... You're Hired!
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Bethany had over twenty years of experience as a waitress when she decided to apply to IHOP.
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Provencher got the job in 2019 at a location in St.Charles and then knew she had to straighten out her living situation next.
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Save The Date
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With no other options, Provencher accepted the generous offer by her family.
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Until her goal of December 2019, Bethany and her son lived with her relatives, desperately wanting a place to call a home of their own.
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Provencher Moved In With Nothing Literally
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It did not take long for Bethany to find a place. She found a condo that suited all of her needs.
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Using money she had saved for years to secure her contract, Provencher signed the tenancy agreement and prepared to move in.
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Sit Anywhere You Want
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In an interview with ABC7 Chicago, Provencher admitted to having nothing to move in with to her new condo.
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Provencher said, "I have absolutely nothing to move in with...not a dish."
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Every Day I'm Struggling
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Securing the condo did not put Bethany's troubles to an end. The reality of it was they were only beginning.
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The combination of her reserve funds and the expenses of the new place left Provencher strapped for cash most months.
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"I Struggle Every Day To Make Ends Meet."
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Although Bethany acknowledged her situation seemed doomed to a cycle of debt and struggle, she did not let it get her down.
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"I just moved into an apartment. I'm a single mother...I struggle every day to make ends meet." she said.
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Welcome To IHOP, Can I Take Your...
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New Year's Day at the IHOP where Provencher worked was like most other restaurants open that day because it was busy.
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The usual sounds of dishes, cutlery, and chatter disappeared when a famous customer entered.
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Things Did Not Sink In For Bethany Right Away
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As the celebrity customer and his famous wife and family were being seated, Bethany temporarily lost it.
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While their identity was immediately recognized by other IHOP patrons, the excitement seemed to confuse Provencher at first.
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I Need To Go To The Washroom
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Whatever doubts Bethany had about the celebrity couple's identity were erased quickly.
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Provencher said in an interview, "As soon as he opened his mouth, I knew who he was. I didn't freak out at the table. I went to the bathroom, and I freaked out."
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Who Ya Gonna Call
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Bethany could think of only one person who would believe her and know how special this moment was for her.
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Provencher called her mother from the washroom to share her excitement.
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Are You Still Working?
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Bethany struggled to regain her composure while she talked on the phone with her mom in the washroom.
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Her manager, Gabriela Rivera, checked on Provencher and gave her some sound advice.
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"Let's Take A Breath."
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Though the moment was special for her restaurant and its customers, Rivera did not let Bethany lose sight of things.
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Rivera told her waitress, "Let's take a breath, take it easy, and treat him like everybody else."
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Bethany Was Cool, Calm, And Collected
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Although she needed the break in the washroom to get her joy under control, Bethany was determined not to let the couple see that.
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When she emerged, she returned to check on her famous customers as she would anyone else.
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Bethany Was Not Only Their Server But Also A Fan
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Bethany not only knew who the celebrities were, but she was also a fan of one since her childhood.
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"My mother sat in line for three to four hours for me to go see him when I was a kid," Provencher said in an interview.
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Check Please
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The celebrity couple and their family eventually finished their meal, and it was time to pay the bill.
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Before the check was paid, the famous man had some specific instructions for his server.
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Keep This A Secret
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For reasons that baffled Bethany at the time, she was asked by the man to wait to see the bill until he and his family left the IHOP.
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She recalled, "He folded up the receipt...and told me not to open it until he left."
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Bethany's Tip Almost Made Her Collapse
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Obeying the request of the famous customer, Bethany opened the bill once he was gone, and the amount almost knocked her to the floor.
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His check for his family meals totaled $78, but he left her a tip of $2,020.
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"Happy New Year, 2020 Tip Challenge."
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In addition to the $2,020 tip left for her, Bethany noticed a note at the bottom from the customer saying, "Happy New Year, 2020 Tip Challenge."
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The challenge encouraged diners to pay 100% gratuity on their dining receipts.
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Who Was This Man Of Mystery?
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Provencher knew 100% who her customer was all along. She idolized him from childhood.
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The celebrity couple was none other than former New Kids on the Block singer Donnie Wahlberg and his wife, Jenny McCarthy.
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"He Looked At Me Twice...I Know He Looked At Me."
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Nearly fainting in the washroom was a natural reaction to meeting and serving Wahlberg. Provencher was a huge fan and went to his concert as a child.
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"I went to two of his concerts, and he looked at me twice," Bethany said, beaming from ear to ear.
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"I'm so blessed and grateful."
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Once the excitement of meeting Wahlberg and McCarthy and the generous tip left by them, reality set in, and Bethany had to focus.
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Provencher had priorities in mind when she said, "Now I can completely furnish my house with my son."
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New Kids On The Block
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Wahlberg was discovered by famed producer Maurice Starr and was offered a spot in the group New Kids on the Block.
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The group climbed up the charts in the 90s and was a big success until they broke up in 1994.
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Being A New Kids On The Block Fan Paid Off
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To see her favorite member of New Kids on the Block was a thrill, she said.
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"Ask anyone who knows me, and they'll tell you Donnie was my favorite," she said. “I was a sick, crazy fan.”
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Donnie Wahlberg The Actor
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Wahlberg made a smooth transition to acting once his musical career ended. He appeared in notable films like Ransom and The Sixth Sense.
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He also starred in over 250 episodes across a decade on the TV show Blue Bloods.
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Wahlberg Found Love With Jenny McCarthy
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Once his divorce from a marriage in 1999 to a woman named Kim Fey was final, Wahlberg began dating actress and TV personality Jenny McCarthy in 2013.
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The couple got married the following year.
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Provencher "couldn't ask for anything else."
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Bethany's story was heartwarming and inspirational. Wahlberg's kind act inspired other celebrities to do the challenge.
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Wahlberg's kindness went beyond the tip. He called the IHOP afterward to chat with Bethany, and she took that opportunity to thank him for his generosity.