Boys and Girls Clubs CEO Paid Vacation Expenses Upfront

SUN PRIRIE, Wisconsin — On Christmas Day, Curry Blue started his usual breakfast shift.

But she didn’t expect one of them to tip her $1,000.

“I came here and opened the restaurant and Michael Johnson, the CEO of the Dane County Boys and Girls Club, walked in and talked to him for about 45 minutes,” Blue said. “I didn’t know who he was. It was his first time here and he gave me a $1,000 tip before he left.”

Blue works at Gus’s Diner every Christmas, and although she said she loves her job, she didn’t expect to get such great tips from strangers.

“At first I thought it was a complete joke, but when I realized it was true, I cried. It was shocking and I am very grateful,” Blue said.

(Courtesy of Michael Johnson)

Johnson has been CEO of Dane County Boys and Girls Clubs for 13 years. He said he had some money to give away by Christmas, but he never thought he would tip Blue this much.

After that 45 minute chat he said he had to.

“Should I give her $500, $600?” Johnson recalled of his decision to leave a big tip. “But she was so kind that I told her I was going to give her $1,000.”

This was all part of an initiative that Johnson started ten years ago.

“We call it the Pay Forward campaign,” Johnson said. “We gave a family of five a car. I took my family shopping.”

Johnson grew up on projects and wasn’t a big fan of Christmas as a kid.

“My mom didn’t have much, so it was a tough holiday for me,” Johnson said.

Because of this, Johnson said he knows what it feels like to have nothing during the holiday season and doesn’t want anyone else to feel the pain he did. Did.

Christmas is over, but Johnson said there are still people who need help.

“We’re actually still raising money. There’s a young woman who has cancer and she’s dying of it and we want to help her children,” Johnson said. “We gave her a $250 gift card, but I want to do more for her.”

Mr Johnson said if you still want to pay upfront, do it here. He said he wanted to remind people that by making a donation of any size, big or small, they can help those in need.