A dedicated Burger King employee received nearly half a million dollars in donations through GoFundMe after a video he shared to commemorate 27 years without missing a day of work went viral.
Kevin Ford, a cashier and cook at the Burger King location at McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas, posted a video on TikTok celebrating 27 years of work without calling in sick or missing time.
In the video, Ford is holding a plastic bag of gifts from his employer that included items such as a movie ticket, candy, pens, keychains, and a Starbucks cup.
The video went viral over the past year and many commenters pointed out that the gifts seemed like a cheap reward for such lengthy and loyal service to the restaurant chain.
Donations for retirement
Ford’s daughter Seryna created a GoFundMe Page to raise money for her dad’s retirement in response to the comments.
"He originally began working at this job as a single father when he gained custody of me and my older sister 27 years ago," Seryna wrote on the GoFundMe Page.
@thekeep777 He's Worked for the Company for Almost 3 Decades and Has Never Called Out!!! #Grateful #Dads #FathersDay #Loyalty #Honor #WorkersUnite #Rewards #Thankful #NorrinRadd777 #theKeep777 ♬ Head in the Clouds - Carly Pearl
"Then as our family grew and he remarried, he continued to work there because of the amazing health insurance that was provided through this employer because it was unionized. This got all four of his daughters through high school and college with full healthcare coverage."
"My dad continues to work there, because though he does look young, he is coming up on retirement age and leaving would cost him his retirement. In no way are we asking for money or is he expecting any money but if anyone feels like blessing him he would love to visit his grandchildren."
By 2022 the GoFundMe page had raised $300,000 and as of August 2023 has raised $408,000.