DETROIT — A Detroit traffic controller went viral on TikTok after an influencer surprised the mother of two with $500 and a ticket to the Detroit Tigers game, leading to a further donation of $50,000 from viewers and Detroiters.
Linita Edge received 8.2 million views on influencer Zachery Dereniowski’s (MDMotivators) TikTok over Mother’s Day weekend.
Dereniowski approached Edge while she was working, asking if she would like to purchase a “mystery jersey” for a dollar.
“Are you from Detroit?” he asked.
“Yes I am, born and raised,” she said.
“Are you a Tigers fan?” he said.
“Of course. Tiger’s fan? Yes!” Edge responded.
Dereniowski then spoke with Edge’s lieutenant, asking if she could leave her shift early. She was then given a ticket to the Tigers game and $500 in cash, as Dereniowski wanted to celebrate a mom for Mother’s Day weekend.
The surprises continued for Edge when Dereniowski made another visit to her job. He approached her with a mystery envelope reading “Congratulations Edge, you need to leave work and come with me. I have a big surprise for you.”
Edge said her biggest dream was to see her children succeed and do well for themselves.
“I don’t have to have a house on a hill, the most fanciest car, but that they continue to work hard doing what they do and stay focused,” she said.
Dereniowski secretly created a GoFundMe account for Edge and her family, and his social media followers and Detroiters stepped up.
“The people of Detroit have watched the video and donated an additional $50,000,” he said.
At the Detroit Tigers game on Tuesday evening, Edge’s son and catcher Jake Rogers awarded her with the check.