By Meg Peters
Review Co-editor
The Iris Caf? has experienced an unusual number of generous customers over the past week. ?
Seemingly, diners cannot stop paying it forward’even the young ones’resulting in pre-paid meals, happiness and joy, and even a few tears of gratitude.
It all started with one act of kindness, before closing time last Tuesday, October 6.
A gentleman who had never dined with the Iris Caf?, at 3667 S. Baldwin Rd., took up the $80 tab of six Lake Orion football players, starting the karmic chain reaction. ?
‘He just said the boys all looked like nice young men, and he wanted us to tell them God bless them,? Iris Caf? co-owner Jill Gageby said. ‘That was it. We had to wait until he left to tell them, and the boys were like, ‘God bless’him’for doing that for us.?
Football players Ryan Kolp, Andrew and Mitchell Schoenjahn, Brendan Flum, Channing Wan and Taylor McCarty huddled up, commenced whispering, and each pulled out a $5 bill from their pockets to pay for the next customer’s meal.
The $30 they donated’Tuesday’night was set aside for the first customer’Wednesday’morning, and the ripple effect has not stopped, and even caught the attention of local TV stations.
For the past week, the Iris Caf? has been in the spotlight.
Lake Orion football Coach Chris Bell said he put two-and-two together after receiving a call from the caf? last week, and watching a reporter from Channel 2 walk onto the field during practice, requesting an interview.
‘These boys are tremendous young men, it doesn’t surprise me whatsoever,? he said, adding that a large part of practice is teaching the boys to live life purposefully and positively impacting others. ‘They are kind hearted and mature beyond their years. Their parents are incredible, and have done a great job raising them.?
For some, it has been a bit emotional. Several customers who dined last week were going through rough times. One woman had lost her job, and another man was remembering his wife, who had died a few years ago on that day.
When these people found out their meals were paid for, the tears started welling. ?
‘Every other table, I’m like, don’t cry, you’re going to make me cry,? Gageby said. ‘It’s overwhelming. It’s so joyful and everyone is happy. All it takes is one person who comes in and says I want to pay it forward, and it’s a complete ripple effect from there. We are just happy to be a part of it.?
More than 100 meals had been paid for by midday’Friday, and the courtesy service of paying it forward continued over the weekend.
Donations from as little as $5 to as much as $100 have come from local residents, surrounding communities, and from people even outside of Michigan who heard about the Iris Caf?’s domino effect.
Two ladies representing the Lake Orion freshmen football team stopped in with a $60 donation. A kind soul from Arizona heard about it on the news, and sent over a $100 donation.
In typical, Lake Orion fashion, local residents contributed the rest of the power to keep paying it forward.
Lake Orion resident Jeanie Williams and her granddaughter were caught in the bliss last Friday. After her meal was paid for, she went straight to the register, and donated money for the next customer’s tab, an easy decision.
‘It makes you feel good, especially when the people don’t know,? she said. ‘Just doing something for somebody else, you actually benefit more than they do. It happens, and you feel good about it for the rest of the week.?