DES MOINES, Iowa — What seemed like an ordinary Thanksgiving shift at IHOP for Ashley Cruz unexpectedly became one she will never forget.

Mirza Kudic, the creator of the well-known “Welcome to Des Moines” Facebook page, chose her section to sit in on Thursday morning. As Cruz handed him the bill, Kudic surprised her by pulling out a remarkable sum of money, a sight rarely seen by servers at a single table: $2,400. He instructed Cruz to distribute $400 among the kitchen staff and keep $2,000 for herself.

“I was completely overwhelmed,” Cruz recalled. “I went to the back and burst into tears. His generosity is overwhelming.”

After giving her the money, Kudic explained that it wasn’t solely his contribution. With more than 80,000 followers on his Facebook page, he had rallied the local community to contribute and brighten a server’s holiday season.

“I doubt anyone chooses to work a server job on Thanksgiving out of sheer delight to be there, serving an endless stream of diners,” Kudic remarked.

Restaurant workers are among those who often work on holidays, including Cruz, who has worked them for 21 years.

“We’re open Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day,” she said. 

Kudic began his account to showcase his photography, but as the page grew larger, he knew he had a bigger mission in store.

“There’s been all these moms especially that need stuff, and they will message me that ‘I need diapers, I need formula, I need this,’” he said. “I’ll take a screenshot of that message, and I will put it on there, and within 10 minutes, a bunch of ladies get together and they just take care of her.”

When he asked his followers to pay it forward to wait staff this time around, they responded again in that same way. Now, with a $2,000 tip, Cruz is paying it forward even further.

“I am going to go buy my baby some Christmas presents,” she said. “I’m going to take my 6-year-old and my 14-year-old out tonight around the south side and have them hand out a care package with a little bit of money in there for some homeless people.”