Serving a single organization diligently for decades is no small feat, but a lot of employers fail to adequately reward such dedication. Kevin Ford, a loyal worker at Burger King, went viral for receiving nothing but a goodie bag after 27 years of service. Since the reward was too small for not missing a day in almost three decades, the internet did its thing and a GoFundMe campaign was set up for Ford. Even celebrities like David Spade joined in the efforts to raise money and make the worker's dreams come true.
An Attempt to Set Things Right
Ford worked as a cook and cashier at a Burger King at Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport, serving the restaurant for years without missing a day. To mark his 27th work anniversary, the owner of the franchise presented him with a small token of appreciation. While the small goodie bag had a handful of items and a couple of movie tickets, Ford was happy with it. He even shared a video on TikTok, showing the items from the bag to express his gratitude.
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While the worker was happy, the viewers on TikTok weren't. Ford's video soon went viral with people criticizing the less than modest reward he received for a remarkable achievement at work. Viewers felt that Ford deserved more than that for his loyalty, and hence his daughter, Seryna, set up a GoFundMe campaign for Ford to raise money for his retirement.
While the fundraiser started with a modest goal of collecting $200, the campaign soon blew up as people donated thousands of dollars. Among the contributors, actor and comedian David Spade donated $5,000 to support Ford in a bid to give him what he deserves.
From Celebrating a Goodie Bag to Buying a House
The fundraiser ultimately raised hundreds of thousands of dollars allowing Ford to do a lot more than just retire comfortably. As the amount collected raced past $450,000, Ford revealed that he had bought a home of his own with the money.
Taking to TikTok and Instagram, the dedicated worker shared a video with details about the house he just purchased in Western Nevada. “I’m trying to get through without crying but I wanted to show you something, something you made possible,” Ford said at the beginning of the video.
He then added, “I know it’s not a mansion, but it’s mine." He then takes his viewers through his three-bedroom, two-bathroom house in Pahrump, Nevada, showing how much his life has changed since his story went viral.
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While he concluded his video by showing viewers through his outdoor deck, kitchen, and living room, he shared more details with TODAY.com about the house.
“It’s got a nice backyard and I don’t have any neighbors to my right,” Ford told the news outlet. He added that his new neighbors are a very kind family and the only thing that he needs to get used to is the peace and quiet out there.
Ford appeared on the TODAY show back in 2022 as well, to share that he had used some of the crowdsourced funds to buy his dream car and help out his family. He said that he had given a sizable portion of the funds to his daughter, who used it to buy herself a house as well.
