Western's Tribe Class Surprises Server A $1,030 Tip

Pictured left to right: Members of Western’s Tribe Class. Cole Grooms, Wesley Satterfield, Landon Marhoover, Kristina Hall (server), Addy Brewster, Bailey Ison. Other students involved in the fundraising include: Taylena Hicks, Kiela Gullet, Katelynn Shultz, Darren Mustard, Sean Kerns, Merissa Hughes, Brookelynn Walker, Alyssa Marhoover, and Chloe Beekman.

‘Tis the season for giving and a local server was the benefactor of a sizable tip just in time for the holidays.

Saturday, Tracy Collins took members of Western’s Tribe Class to Rooster’s in Waverly for the culmination of a December project, “Tip A Server for the Holidays”.

In a social media post, Collins praised the efforts of her students. “The kids who raised this money are kind and beautiful souls” wrote Collins. “They decided to give this Christmas instead of receive. They did this because they wanted to and expected nothing in return. They have learned a lifelong lesson and will never forget this moment in their lives.”

Landon Marhoover, an 8^th grade student in the class said he and classmates sold hot chocolate over a seven-day period at Western Middle/High School with the intent to donate the money collected to a server at a local restaurant.

“Our class went around selling hot chocolate for a dollar during one class period each day” said Marhoover. “We made over $700 in just those seven days.”

To make things more interesting, upon hearing about the project, a Rooster’s patron donated another $300 bringing the total to $1,030.

“It was exciting” said Marhoover “because it was good to help out somebody that needed help.”

In her post, Collins stated “Every person deserves an act of kindness even if it’s simply a kind word. We all have been so preoccupied lately with our own struggles that we have often overlooked or dismissed those around us.”

Collins (a server herself at Rooster’s) reminds us to not forget those waiting tables as we enjoy a night of dining during the holidays.

“We sit down to eat and some of us don’t look at our server as an actual human who rushes around to several tables trying to make everyone’s experience a pleasant one” wrote Collins. “Some don’t realize that they paste a smile on their face, take your order while in the back of their minds they’re wondering if they will make enough money to buy Christmas or groceries or pay rent. Sometimes, after they get your drinks and put your order in, they run out back and sit down and cry because the table before yours was rude and treated them like a servant instead of a person.”

“Sometimes, managers and other servers rush out after them and wrap their arms around him or her and tell them everything will be okay” explained Collins. “Some of them have warm, loving families to spend Christmas with and some do not. Some will work on Christmas Eve and will go home to an empty house while everyone else is enjoying the holiday with family.”

The recipient, Kristina Hall, was just about to finish her shift when her manager suggested she needed to work one more table. Waiting, to her surprise, were the students of The Tribe Class.

Marhoover said the experience was “very joyful because she (Hall) needed the money to help out. She was thankful, but she couldn’t really say a whole lot because she was very happy about it.”

Tribe Class is in its first year at Western, created with the intent of teaching students to be civic minded and helping others in their community.

Collins said the Rooster’s management team of Shaleah Prater, Kennedy Elkins, and Brooklie Staley paid the entire bill at Roosters for the kids and their parents.