The holiday spirit showed up in a big way at a First Watch restaurant in Naples, Florida. Staff members decided to cancel their holiday party and instead donate the entire budget to coworker Norman Vales, who is in the process of adopting a baby with his wife, Alicia.
In a now-viral TikTok, general manager Brendan Tompkins gathers the team and announces the party cancellation before revealing the surprise. The money was redirected to help cover the high costs of international adoption. Overcome with emotion, Vales stepped out of the room to collect himself as coworkers cheered and applauded the decision.
Norman and Alicia have struggled for years to have a child and are currently working to adopt a 1-year-old girl from Honduras. With savings gone and loans denied, the couple started a GoFundMe to help with expenses. The outpouring of support from coworkers and the community has been life changing, according to the family.
After the video gained millions of views, First Watch CEO Chris Tomasso stepped in to restore the holiday party budget and promised an additional surprise for the soon-to-be dad. What started as a selfless gesture ended with both a celebration and a powerful reminder of what workplace family can truly mean.
@dream_g1rlxxOur coworker Norman & his wife are adopting a beautiful baby girl & we decided as a team to donate to them both. Never seen this man cry before, cue the waterworks 🥹 love you so much normie 🫶🏼
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