An Indiana pizza delivery driver, Connor Stephanoff, was left stunned when a police officer raised over $42,000 for him after he received only a $2 tip for delivering a $40 pizza in a snowstorm.
Officer Richard Craig’s act of kindness, which included filming the moment and starting a GoFundMe campaign, captured the attention of many and changed Stephanoff’s life.
Connor Stephanoff braved a snowstorm to deliver pizza
On January 10, Connor Stephanoff, 20, of Brownsburg, delivered a pizza in extremely harsh conditions.
The road to the home was blocked by a bus, so Stephanoff parked at the top of the hill and walked nearly a mile in the snow to deliver the $40 pizza.
He was dressed in sweatpants, a Nike crewneck, and sneakers. As he was walking back to his car, he met Officer Richard Craig, who was helping with road congestion.
Craig filmed the moment and asked, “You delivering pizza, bro?” Stephanoff replied, “Two dollars,” with a dejected tone. Craig, surprised, asked, “Are you kidding me?” Stephanoff just laughed and shook his head.
Officer Richard Craig takes action
Officer Craig, who was shocked by the small tip, decided to help. “No one is delivering pizza on foot! No one is walking a pizza. Not today!” Craig said as he recorded the video.
He added, “Did you get a good tip?” after hearing about the $2 tip. After speaking with Stephanoff, Craig went on a mission to raise more money for him.
Craig found $15 in his truck and gave it to Stephanoff, apologizing for not having more to offer. Stephanoff seemed defeated, but thanked Craig.
The officer, a father-of-four, later decided to use his TikTok platform, with 163,000 followers, to try and raise $500 for the young man’s efforts.
GoFundMe campaign raises Over $42,000 for Stephanoff
The video Craig posted went viral, quickly gaining over 112,000 views.
Many viewers expressed a desire to help, prompting Craig to start a GoFundMe campaign.
He was hoping to raise $500 to make up for the bad experience and reward Stephanoff for his hard work. By the next morning, the campaign had raised $20,000, and it continued to grow. As of now, it has raised more than $42,000.
Stephanoff, who had no idea about the GoFundMe, was informed by his grandmother. “I found out around Sunday morning,” he said. “I was like: ‘Oh, this is real!'”
Additionally, Stephanoff, who lives with his grandmother, plans to use the money to buy a car so he no longer has to rely on her for transportation.
If he has any left, he hopes to help pay off some bills and possibly save for college. “If I still got some leftover, hopefully, college,” he said.
Rockstar pizza and Officer Craig express gratitude
Rockstar Pizza, where Stephanoff works, expressed their gratitude to Officer Craig for his support.
“We gave inside personnel the option of staying home, coming to work or having us pick them up and take them home,” the company stated. “Our head delivery driver makes the call on if we’re going to offer delivery. If he says he doesn’t feel like it’s safe, we don’t deliver.”
They thanked Craig for showing Stephanoff so much love and support, acknowledging how much it positively affected his family.
Officer Craig’s quick thinking and the community’s support raised over $42,000 for Stephanoff.
Through this act of kindness, Stephanoff hopes to buy a car, help his grandmother with bills, and work towards his future education.
The story is a reminder of the impact kindness can have in changing lives.