A down-on-their-luck Jersey City family recently scored FIFA World Cup tickets and $20,000, among other things, thanks to social media influencer Jimmy Darts and his followers.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Darts, who has nearly 17 million followers between Instagram and TikTok, approached Victoria Ramirez at a basketball court and asked if her or someone from her family dropped a necklace in the parking lot, a June 27th Instagram video shows.
“I am actually rewarding the first person, I have $1,000 for your kindness. You’re amazing,” Darts tells Ramirez.
“Like things like this don’t happen to me, I’ve been really depressed because I’ve just been feeling hopeless,” Ramirez says.
At first in disbelief and hesitant to take the money, Ramirez also reveals that she has been going through hard times and is behind on her rent before Darts comes with more good news, presenting her with a $1,000 DoorDash gift card.
As Ramirez breaks down in tears of joy, Darts says he has one more surprise: That DoorDash is also gifting her and her two children tickets to the World Cup game that evening.
The match at MetLife Stadium that night was Panama vs. England, with a second video posted by Darts showing that they all made it and had a great time.
Darts had one more grand gesture: Ramirez and her family received $20,000 cash after the social media staple started a GoFundMe page for them.
“Victoria is doing everything she can to provide for her son and daughter, but she’s fallen behind on rent and bills after losing her job and is deeply struggling to keep her family afloat. The fear of being on the streets weighs on her every single day,” Darts wrote in the GoFundMe page description.
“On top of the financial burden, her daughter has been dealing with ongoing health challenges, and her son has been bullied at school. It’s been an incredibly difficult season for their family. And yet, despite everything they’re carrying, Victoria still chose honesty.”
He went on to say that the GoFundMe was created to ensure that Ramirez and her family didn’t get evicted, concluding “do your thing, internet ❤️.”
As of 6:40 p.m. Monday evening, Darts raised $21,881 from 864 donors and set an overall goal of $50,000.
