Staying Fit
Derlin Newey and Carlos Valdez addressing social media fans in a video.
Courtesy of @vendingheads TikTok
At 89, Derlin Newey delivers pizzas to supplement his Social Security payments. But he also does it to bring joy to people.
He never expected his kindness would make him a social media sensation and that his fans would give him $12,000 and counting to help him make ends meet.
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"I never looked for it. I never asked for it. It just happened,” says Newey, a retired marketing professional from Ogden, Utah. “I just asked God to help me prosper in my work."
"I'm a celebrity, and I'm loving it as long it lasts."
But in many ways, he earned the gift with his infectious cheer and by living out his personal philosophy to “do your best and love everybody without being critical."
From the first pizza delivery to the Valdez home in Roy, Utah, that attitude shined through."We fell in love with him,” Carlos Valdez says. “His approach was so kindhearted. He wanted to take time and start a conversation. Not many people do that anymore."
Looking for some pizza?
Valdez's wife met Newey first and told him about “the sweetest old man” who had delivered her favorite pineapple pizza. Valdez was so intrigued that he watched the encounter on their doorbell camera recording.
After subsequent deliveries, Valdez edited the security footage and posted excerpts of their conversations on TikTok, a video-sharing social media platform.
In the first video, as soon as the door opens, Newey unleashes his catchphrase: “Are you looking for some pizza?”
He thanks them for requesting that he deliver the pizza, asks how long they've lived in the neighborhood and tells them he has driven past their house “thousands of times” on his way to church. The video has been liked on TikTok more than 72,000 times and generated almost 1,000 comments.
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