TikToker slammed over $322 McDonald's meal for homeless defends act
A teenager from New South Wales who received “hate” messages online for donating 50 Big Mac burgers to a homeless shelter has revealed why she did it.
Sophia Begg posted a now-viral TikTik video of her $322.50 burger spend at a McDonalds Drive-Thru on Saturday which she dropped off to charity Will2Live.
The 17-year-old copped criticism for driving herself in a Mercedes and for “wasting” her money on fast-food instead of donating directly to Ronald McDonald House Charities Australia (RMHC).
“In all honesty, you should have just donated the money directly to Ronald McDonald House, not sure what giving out burgers to homeless would achieve,” one critic commented.
Reason behind Big Mac donation
After being inundated with a “ridiculous” amount of “nasty” comments and messages, she has been forced to defend her generosity.
“There were a lot of nasty comments and direct messages saying I did it just for views or “clout”, but I know how close to my heart Ronald McDonald House is, I guess they just don’t,” Sophia told 7Lifestyle.
The TikTok star, with more than 480,000 followers, said she borrowed her mum's luxury car because her vehicle was at the mechanic.
“No it’s not my car, it’s my Mum’s. I actually own a car that is just as old as me which I adore, but it’s currently being fixed,” she said.
Why Big Macs instead of money
She also explained her decision to donate food instead of money, saying she managed to help two separate causes with her good deed.
‘I knew it was McHappy Day and wanted to help the best I could. My mum and I brainstormed how I could buy Big Macs to support RMHC but obviously not let them go to waste, since I definitely can’t eat 50 Big Macs on my own,” she said.
“I wanted to raise awareness about McHappy Day and spread the word. Also this way I was able to support two charities through giving the Big Macs to Will2Llive who gave them to the homeless.”
As part of the fast food chain’s annual fundraiser, $2 from every Big Mac sold on McHappy Day is donated to seriously ill kids and their families.
In a separate TikTok video, Sophia slammed the amount of “hate” messages she received as “ridiculous”.
“I literally can’t deal with people sometimes... Everyone’s saying “you should’ve donated directly... what a waste”. I donate to the Ronald McDonald House all the time, and I have for years,” she said.
“I ended up supporting two charities at once through buying a Big Mac for McHappy Day and giving them to the homeless.”
Sophia said her good deed inspired some of her followers to buy a Big Mac on McHappy Day or donate.
"You have done a good thing and don't bother responding to the haters who probably never donated a cent. Keep it up," commented one person.
Teen big supporter of RMHC
The selfless teen told 7Lifestyle she has “consistently” donated to charity over the years, including RMHC.
“When I was five, I started donating my birthday and Christmas money to the Westmead House,” she said.
“When I was eight, I would use my pocket money to donate and deliver roughly 30 litres of milk to the House every week as the House always needed fresh milk.”
She even shaved her head on live television at the age of 11 as part of Channel 7’s Telethon.
“I wanted to raise the most money for the House, and I went on to shave my head on TV,” she said.
She also donates money by selling her unused clothes on instagram, with the profits going to the RMHC Westmead House.
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