Pizza driver was tipped only $2 during a snowstorm — then a cop decided to reward him by raising nearly $45,000
Being kind and diligent always brings rewards from some source or another. When you go out of your way and do your best, it brings blessings and more. A man named Connor Stephanoff, who works at Rockstar Pizza, set out to do his duty as a delivery man despite serious weather conditions in Indiana, per My Modern Met. Unfortunately, the man received only a $2 tip for his effort. When an officer, Richard Craig (@officercraig), spotted him and learned of his situation, he offered to reward him with something special. The officer shared a video of the man out in a snowstorm with no warm attire except for a sweater and sweatpants.
With no gloves, jacket, or other stuff to keep him warm, Craig asked him where he was headed. He learned that Stephanoff was a pizza delivery man who had just delivered pizzas worth $40 to a customer. What the officer couldn’t fathom was how the man stepped out in the overwhelming snow and arrived by foot to do his job. There was no one but officers in the area to help and direct citizens should they be stuck and it was surprising to see the man walking along through the snow for something so casual. When the officer asked whether he received a generous tip, the man let him know it was $2.
It didn’t settle with Craig that the worker received such a meager amount for putting in so much hard work and causing an inconvenience to himself to make the delivery. “He didn’t call the customer and tell them their $40 pizza order could not be delivered. He would not be discouraged by the obstacles he was encountering—which included a 1/2 mile hike round trip in the cold, wet snow. He parked his vehicle at the top of the hill and got out, wearing grey sweats, Nikes, and no coat or gloves. He took off hiking through the very cold and wet snow with the pizza in tow,” the officer recalled.
Ron Matthews, manager of the outlet, revealed that they offered drivers the option to skip delivering that day due to the weather. “He wasn't here in the restaurant; he had no idea people were watching him. But he got out, walked it to the house and came back without any expectations,” he said, per WRTV. Stephanoff was following his duty and staying true to his motto— “Any condition, anytime, anywhere. You will get your pizza.” In a follow-up video, Craig revealed that he ran to his car and handed a few more dollars to Stephanoff to appreciate his efforts. “What this young man just did, delivery drivers are not required to do,” he added.
@officercraig $2 TIP SHOULD BE A CRIME! Whoever did this: #SHAMEFUL ROCKSTAR PIZZA HAS A ROCKSTAR DRIVER. (Brownsburg, IN.) This guy is a RARE breed. During today’s all day snowstorm, crashes and slideoffs were coming in near 30 calls an hour. This school bus had a minor crash. The bus slid backwards and sideways down a hill and gets stuck, blocking this neighborhood street, and making it completely impassable. The roads were so bad, it took us 20 min. to get 3-4 miles. THIS #DELIVERYDRIVER pulled up before officers arrived. The delivery was about 1/4 mile past where the bus was blocking the street. This young man did not allow this to discourage him. He didn’t call his manager to complain, he didn’t call the customer and tell them their $40 pizza order could not be delivered. Oh no. THIS MAN IS BUILT DIFFERENT. He would not be discouraged by the obstacles he was encountering, which included a 1/2 mile hike round trip in the cold, wet snow. He parked his vehicle at the top of the hill, got out, wearing grey sweats, Nikes, and NO COAT nor GLOVES. He grabbed this #RockstarPizza, and took off hiking thru the very cold, and wet snow with the pizza in tow. It was the beginning of his shift at 4:30p on a Friday afternoon, BUT he was determined this family got their pizza. This is in a more affluent neighborhood, and I’m sure he thought he would be rewarded properly for his RARE display of PRIDE and DEDICATION to his work- that is often times not seen by some of his generation. But more so, he wanted to ensure this family got their pizza to their door! So they did not have to leave the confines of their warm, comfortable, AND VERY NICE home. He got my attention as I see him walking in the middle of street after he made the delivery. I said outloud “what does this guy think he is doing?” As I initially thought he was a neighbor coming to “rubberneck” the crash. The bus driver told me he walked by once and was delivering a pizza. I didn’t believe that fully because what young pizza delivery guy in 2025 would do this??? None that I know! Not believing it completely, I hit RECORD and ask this young man. I was dumbfounded and in disbelief when he confirmed. But most of all - I was impressed- AND STILL AM! I’m proud to witness this firsthand. But my excitement and pride quickly turned to frustration when I asked him about his tip. WHO TIPS A GUY WHO RISKS EVERYTHING TO DRIVE FOOD TO YOUR DOOR LIKE THIS?? Let alone, gets out to hike it to you while every road was nearly impassable! I REALLY HOPE this algorithm is good enough that whomever DID THIS, SEES THIS! You should be ashamed of yourself whoever u are!! SHAME ON YOU. A $40 pizza delivered and a $2 tip! EVERYONE IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD CAN AFFORD IT. AND IF THEY CANT, STOP ORDERING PIZZA YOU CANT AFFORD! After processing he only received $2, and what I just witnessed, I reached for my own wallet. To PAY THE TIP FOR SOMEONE THAT PROBABLY MAKES DOUBLE MY SALARY. But I did not want this young man discouraged. Unfortunately my wallet was in my Tahoe, which was at the top of the big hill. I quickly as I could chased him down up the hill giving him the little cash I had in my wallet. (About $15) HE DESERVED MUCH MORE. Not sure who this guy is, BUT IF YOU DO, PLZ TAG HIM, SHOW HIM SOME ❤️❤️❤️ AND GIVE HIM THE RECOGNITION HE DESERVES! Well done sir.🫡#IncredibleWork #Rockstar #Brownsburg #Indiana #delivery #Driver #snow #PizzaGuy #pizza @Dave Portnoy #LifeLawAndFootball #dedicated #workethic @Pat McAfee Show Clips ♬ original sound - Officer Craig
He went on to explain that a majority of drivers would refuse to deliver the pizza in such weather, let alone the hilly area included. He also shared a glimpse of the area covered in snow and himself having a hard time out there. He also added that he started a GoFundMe to give the guy the “tip he deserved.” With the generosity of several strangers, Stephanoff took home $44,675 for his work ethic and humanity. “Believe me when I tell you, this high work ethic is rare from many folks his age,” Craig added.
@officercraig Replying to @Brooklyn Johnson-Waterman Luckily I had a little cash in my wallet that was in the truck! BUT HE DESERVES MUCH MORE. I just started his GoFundMe! Please share and encourage others to throw in if they can!! I want to try to get him a tip he deserves -if we can!! Let’s go! https://gofund.me/2d6f19ec. #OfficerCraig #RockStarPizzaBrownsburg #PizzaDeliveryDriver #RockstarDriver #GoFundMe #fyp #foryou #LifeLawAndFootball ♬ original sound - Officer Craig
You can follow Richard Craig (@officercraig) on TikTok for more content on humanity and lifestyle.