The check was $39.60 — but a diner left a $3,000 tip in memory of his mother

Dwayne Clark can remember a point in his childhood when he was “dirt poor,” while his mother worked as a diner cook.

“I saw how hard my mom worked for people who weren't always appreciative,” Clark told “Good Morning America,” adding that his mom put all four of her children through college while working in the food service industry.

That’s why Clark — now the CEO of an assisted living community — said he wanted to do something special when he got a $39.60 check at The Brief Encounter Cafe, a diner he frequents in Bellevue, Washington.

So he decided to leave a big surprise and personal note, just in time for the holidays.

“My wife came in from shopping. She joined me about halfway through the breakfast. I got the check,” he told KIRO Radio’s Tom and Curley on Tuesday. “I said, ‘I think we’re going to change somebody’s life today.’

“I wrote the note. I handed it over to her with the tip on it. She started crying. I said, ‘Okay, let’s sprint out of here.’”

Clark had left a $3,000 tip on the check, asking that the staff split the 7,000 percent tip evenly, according to ABC News. That amounts to about $250 for each person working at the diner.

“You guys do a great job! When I was 7, I washed dishes and my mom cooked in a diner just like this,” he wrote in a note on the back of the check, according to TODAY. “We were dirt poor and didn't have money for Christmas. Hopefully, this will help all of you have a better Christmas.”

Julie Wilson, a waitress working that day, said it definitely did help.

“It didn't sink in right away,” she told TODAY. “It was busy, so I went to the office and tried to read the note. It brought tears to my eyes.”

Melanie Bard, the owner of The Brief Encounter Cafe, told “Good Morning America” that she immediately knew the generous tip was from Clark, who has visited her diner for the past eight years.

“He's a great customer when he comes in,” she said.

But Clark said he doesn’t want accolades for his huge tip — and instead wants to inspire a wave of kindness and giving.

“You don’t have to leave $3,000, first of all,” he said on KIRO Radio. “You don’t need to leave money. But just on the back of your ticket or whatever, just write, ‘Hey I appreciate you. You’ve done a great job. Here’s my story.’ If we just did that, I think our lives would be so much richer, so much better.”

This story was originally published December 20, 2017 at 6:22 AM with the headline "The check was $39.60 — but a diner left a $3,000 tip in memory of his mother."