An 85-year-old Tennessee movie theater worker has been gifted over $146,000 after a video of her working diligently went viral, prompting thousands of strangers to help her "enjoy the retirement she deserves." Mary Ellen Eron was captured on video lifting a heavy black garbage bag and pushing a cleaning cart at an AMC theater in Maryville, about 16 miles south of Knoxville.
Viral Video Sparks Fundraiser
Brooklyn Green, a movie theater attendee, filmed Eron and posted the video on TikTok with the caption: "Let's secretly help retire this beautiful woman. No one deserves to work at this age." The video has since gained over 2 million likes since it was posted on Monday. Inspired by Eron's hard work, Green launched a GoFundMe fundraiser to help her retire.
"I knew nothing about her. I didn't even know her name when I went to the theater," Green told WATE. "Her physical appearance didn't look too comfortable, especially since the way she was working so hard. So I just decided, let's shoot our shot. Let's try to retire her and thought just a couple of friends would donate."
Overwhelming Donations
Far more than a few friends decided to donate. In just 48 hours, the GoFundMe received over 7,500 donations, totaling $146,317. Green had hoped to surprise Eron at the theater, but Eron learned about the viral video herself when her neighbor knocked on her door in the middle of the night to tell her she was trending.
"I said, let's surprise this beautiful woman and try to retire her. I kept it quiet, and then in the middle of the night, her neighbor knocked on her door and said, 'Hey, you're going viral.' So that's when she found out about it. She didn't have a clue how much it was, though," Green said.
Green shared a TikTok on Wednesday showing the moment she told Eron how much money had been raised. At Eron's request, the GoFundMe was closed Tuesday night. "Oh my goodness. That's a lot of money," Eron said, looking at the paper with the total written on it. "That's a lot of money, and you deserve every bit of it," Green replied.
Will She Retire?
It remains uncertain whether Eron will retire. Her manager told Green that Eron has been working at movie theaters for decades and loves the work. Commenters on the original TikTok who knew Eron confirmed this. "So I actually worked at this AMC that's MARY! We love Mary! She REFUSES to retire! She doesn't want to sit at home and be bored. She LOVES her job!" one commenter wrote.
Green also noted that in her free time, Eron has been helping a mother and her children, as well as people experiencing homelessness. Despite her dedication to work, Eron expressed gratitude for the kind gesture. "Thank you so very much to all the wonderful people that donated money to the GoFundMe," she said in the video. "I'm overwhelmed and certainly blessed by the Lord and you wonderful people. Thank you once more."
