A Burger King employee received $400k in donations to celebrate his 27 years of perfect attendance at work after pictures were shared of the burger company’s abysmal thank-you gift to their exemplary cook. The video, which commemorated the man’s incredible record of attendance to his job, went viral and led to nearly half a million dollars in donations to a GoFundMe campaign made in his name.
McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas is home to the Burger King where Kevin Ford has worked for nearly three decades. Last year, he posted a TikTok video detailing his incredible feat and celebrating 27 years without a day of missed work.
Ford was seen holding a goodie bag that Burger Kind offered to him in appreciation for his service. He received a Starbucks cup, candy, and movie tickets, among other small and inexpensive items. Though he seemed grateful and not at all disappointed in the gifts, many viewers of the now-viral post were underwhelmed and even felt insulted for Ford when they saw the meager haul.
So, in one of those rare beautiful moments that the internet occasionally produces, thousands of complete strangers came together to donate money to gift to Ford. The GoFundMe was created by Ford’s daughter Seryna who saw an opportunity to raise money and thank her father for all of his hard work.
Seryna wrote about her father’s impressive work ethic in a short description on the GoFundMe page. “Hi, My name is Seryna. The man in that video is my father. He has worked at his job for 27 years and yes, he has never missed a day of work.
“He originally began working at this job as a single father when he gained custody of me and my older sister 27 years ago. 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. “
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While the internet is not always a great place to find feel-good stories and inspiration, this case shows that sometimes great things can come from social media. Kevin Ford’s story is a great reminder that hard work rarely goes unnoticed and unrewarded. Even when his employer seemed unwilling or unable to celebrate its most dedicated employee, people from all across the globe joined forces to do it themselves.
Little stories like this offer hope that there is still abundant good in the world, even though it can sometimes be obscured by the everyday arguing and resentment that comes from the unhappiest and least fulfilled in society. Kevin Ford found fulfillment in his job and his family, and look where that got him. Maybe someday he can be a role model to children all across the country.