Brooklyn Green, 21, decided to see a movie at an AMC theater in Maryville, Tennessee. While there, she noticed an older employee named Mary collecting trash. Impressed by how hard Mary was working, Green recorded her moving a trash cart and shared the video on TikTok. She also started a GoFundMe fundraiser, hoping family and friends might give enough to cover about one month’s rent.
The response was much bigger than Green expected. The video spread widely, and donations passed $100,000 on the first day. When Green returned to the theater the next day to surprise Mary, the total had reached $146,000. Mary was not there, but a manager explained that she had worked in theaters for more than 45 years. He said Mary loved the work and worried that her life might get worse if she stopped.
Green eventually met Mary and surprised her with the news about the money. Their meeting was recorded for the people who had donated through GoFundMe. Mary thanked everyone who contributed to the fundraiser.
