Tom Selleck & Drew Barrymore Team up to Support a Family Helping Restaurants in NYC Amid the Pandemic

Tom Selleck and Drew Barrymore join forces to support a father-and-daughter duo helping restaurants and frontline workers in New York City amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Inspired by Tom Selleck's $2020 tip challenge, Drew Barrymore decided to pay it forward to a father-and-daughter duo who was doing their part in helping restaurants and frontline workers in New York City amid the pandemic.

In December, the "Magnum PI" star left a generous tip at his favorite restaurant, Elio's, in New York's Upper East Side. After finishing his $204 meal, he left a $2020 tip to try and help the struggling restaurant sector stay afloat.

INSPIRED BY DONNIE WAHLBERG

It turns out he was inspired by another actor, Donnie Wahlberg, who also accepted the "#2020TipChallenge." He previously posted a photo of his restaurant bill, encouraging people to take part in the challenge to help restaurants all over America.

The "Blue Bloods" star was at Marshland restaurant in Massachusetts when he left a $2020 tip on a $35.27 bill. A regular customer of the restaurant, he always asks for one of their servers, Denise.

A SURPRISE TIP

After devouring his usual order of steak tips, grilled asparagus, and poached eggs, he told the server that the payment was on the table. While he was always a generous tipper, she couldn't help but be stunned by the amount she saw on the bill.

A couple of months later, Drew Barrymore discovered a family trying to help restaurants stay afloat in New York City. The owners of Tarallucci e Vino started an initiative called "Feed the Frontlines," which allows individuals to donate to the cause.

FEEDING THE FRONTLINERS

With over 35 restaurant partners, they split the donations amongst themselves to purchase meals for frontline workers in New York's healthcare sector. To date, the initiative has delivered over 170,000 meals to doctors, nurses, and medical personnel in the state.

The "Charlie's Angels" actress clarified that the tip was a gesture to say thank you for the generosity that the duo has shown.

JOINING FORCES FOR GOOD

Taralluci e Vino's owner, Luca, a self-proclaimed Selleck fan, was given a surprise after Barrymore brought him and his daughter on the same call as the "Friends" star. He revealed that growing up, he watched him on screen and thought he was a cool guy.

After introducing the restaurant owners to Selleck, Barrymore took the opportunity to announce that her show was going to donate a huge tip to the restaurant for their amazing work on "Feed the Frontlines." In fact, on top of the tip, she revealed she was donating from her own money, making the total around $10,000.

A SURPRISE GIFT

The "Charlie's Angels" actress clarified that the tip was a gesture to say thank you for the generosity that the duo has shown to others amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As she announced the surprise donation, she said:

"Thank you for everything that you are doing. We all wanna help but sometimes we don't know where to go, so I applaud you for taking the charge on this."

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people have stepped up to show appreciation to frontline workers risking their lives daily to save other people. Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton have taken time off to thank NHS staff and volunteers for their service several times in the UK.

Hoping to show concern for healthcare workers and volunteers in his country, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have initiated calls with numerous people to show their support and appreciation. They have spoken to over 300 staff members since the pandemic started, and the number continues to increase.