NILES, Ohio — Circulating through social media is the “Venmo Challenge,” where people donate money through the mobile payment app and the total is given to someone as a surprise.
What You Need To Know
- An Ohio couple took part in the trending social media “Venmo Challenge”
- The two surprised their waitress while vacationing in Virginia Beach with a $650 tip.
- They have already started their Venmo Challenge #2, with hopes of raising $1,000.
Dan Pew, of Niles, and his fiance Raven, tried it out for themselves.
Asking family, friends, and strangers through social media to donate any amount of money, the two surprised their waitress while vacationing in Virginia Beach with a $650 tip.
“I saw this TikTok from Lexi Burke over the Fourth of July weekend before my fiancé Raven and I were heading to Virginia Beach and I said let me give this a shot, let me try,” said Pew.
The Trumbull County resident says he plans to continue participating in the challenge, which is part of a larger national effort. Having once had a job as a dishwasher, Pew, who is now director of community outreach at Parkman Recovery Center in Warren, says he knows what it’s like working to make ends meet.
“Especially during these times, you know, restaurants closing down, you know, so many different people are affected by what’s going on around us,” said Pew.
Pew has already posted about Venmo Challenge No. 2 with a goal of raising $1,000 for his next recipient, saying people can send him money in all kinds of ways — from CashApp to Venmo, and even by mail.
“Some people are sending a dollar, and that’s fantastic,” Pew said. He says this is only one way to spread positivity during these hard times.
“There’s so many other ways anyone can give back. It can be writing somebody a letter, smiling at someone, a phone call, it can be a lot of different ways right now and I think a lot of us are kind of going through a very traumatic time together and if we pull together a little bit more and realize that positive things are going on around us, more love and positivity and hope will be spread throughout everyone,” said Pew.
Pew has received a lot of recognition — even making it to national news — but he said he didn’t expect it to make it that far.
“No, not even a little bit. I was surprised that anyone wanted to talk to me about it. This is just incredible that a positive story is traveling across the country and across the globe,” he said.
Receiving thanks from random people all over the nation gives him hope that there is love in this world and we just need to look around.
“It isn’t about me or the money. It’s about the gesture and it’s about the connection of doing something for someone and not expecting anything in return,” said Pew.
