Haverhill resident Jennifer Navaria was surprised Sat. Feb. 1 when the restaurant server received a $5,000 tip from automobile celebrity Ernie Boch Jr., and local shelter dogs may be among the beneficiaries.
Boch, president and CEO of Subaru of New England, tipped Navaria generously on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Seaglass in Salisbury. It was all part of part of singer, songwriter and actor Donnie Wahlberg’s 2020 tip challenge. Wahlberg famously kicked off the challenge with a $2,020 tip on a $78 tab earlier this year. On the receipt, Boch writes, “Donnie, your move,” signaling a continuation in their competition.
“My initial (reaction) was going over and looking at it (the receipt) and saying oh $50 that’s really nice on $157, I thought that was nice. They were very easy breezy, in and out in an hour. But then when I looked at the top of the slip is when I really thought a little bit. I saw the ‘Donnie’ and I did know what that meant, so it made me go down to the total instead of the tip line and that’s when I really knew what it was,” said Navaria. She mentioned she received another $20.20 tip from a customer in early January who was taking part in the tip challenge.
After confirming the tip with her bartender, realization set in. “I was shaking for a while and I slept for a while, but then I woke up. It kind of disrupted my sleep a little, but it has come down by now.”
When asked what she plans to do with the money, Navaria said she plans to donate to North East Animal Shelter in Salem.
“Nothing set in stone yet, we had just adopted a 12-year-old dog from North East Animal Shelter, we will probably give a little there,” she said.