'Gave us all hope': Customer donates $30K to staff at Peoria Heights restaurant

An act of kindness recently touched the lives of employees at Schooners in Peoria Heights.

A longtime customer – who wishes to remain anonymous – donated $1,000 to each person on staff. In total, the man’s gift amounted to $30,000.

"There was a lot of tears shed – a lot of tears shed," said bartender Bri Davis. "That helped a lot of people."

A Jan. 21 Facebook post noted that the customer was not rich. Instead, Davis said the donation was meant to honor the memories of his late wife and daughter.

Brad Gebhards, whose father owns the restaurant, said he initially told the customer “that's too much.” But, he said, the man insisted.

"You guys have always made me feel at home even after my wife passed,” Gebhards recalled the customer telling him, “and I've never walked in there and felt alone."

Davis described Schooners as the kind of place where everyone feels like family. The donor, she said, "is definitely a part of this family."

According to Gebhards, the man has patronized the restaurant for the past 15 years. He said many employees seem to be drawn to the customer – sometimes stopping by his table to sit and converse.

"He has a huge smile and huge personality..." Davis said. "I know I’ve personally come in here – I’ve had dinner with him when I'm not working before because he's fun to be around."

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Even so, Gebhards said many staff members had never met the man. Though he said the donor was content without the recognition, the business called employees together for a meeting with the customer.

Server Angie Hrdlicka said she was helping a table during the initial announcement. When she heard the news, however, she was in disbelief.

“I just stared into space and my jaw like dropped,” Hrdlicka said. “I go, ‘Really?’ and then I started thinking, ‘Oh my gosh. We have at least 25 employees.’”

Even now, staff members like Hrdlicka and Davis say it is difficult to put the impact of the experience into words.

While the donation itself came as a surprise, the patron’s kindness and generosity is no secret to those who have met him. Gebhards and Davis described him as the kind of person who is continuously helping others – which is seen through day-to-day acts of kindness at Schooners.

Davis said the customer regularly brings candies for those working on Sundays. Along with this, she is preparing to move and said the donor has given her dishes and items for the new space.

For Davis, the $1,000 will provide an added sense of financial security as she navigates heightened expenses. Hrdlicka said the customer’s generosity offered the boost she needed, as well, after she took on additional purchases to help her family.

“He helped us all get back on our feet…” Hrdlicka said. “He just gave us all hope.”

And the employees at Schooners are not the only people to benefit from the man’s generosity. Gebhards said the man has made other donations in memory of his wife and daughter, as well.

“In his words, he goes, ‘I don't need much. I got by before this. I can help people out and the smile on their face will be the payment that I need,’” Gebhards said.

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This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Customer donates $30K to Peoria Heights restaurant workers