A Las Vegas Burger King employee who has been with the company for 27 years without ever taking a day off went viral after his managers gave him a mediocre gift for his service — and now close to $300,000 has been raised for him.
Kevin Ford, 54, has toiled as a cashier and cook at the chain’s McCarran International Airport location since 1995 and when his 27th anniversary came along, his bosses gifted him a backpack stuffed with a movie ticket, a Starbucks cup, candy, and chocolate, FOX 11 reported.
Video of him accepting the gift and thanking his coworkers soon went viral but many people who saw the clip were shocked he’d be given such a paltry thank you present following his years of loyalty to the company.
His daughters soon set up a GoFundMe page for their dad, seeking to raise about $200, but nearly $300,000 in donations have come in and the number keeps rising.
“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,” Ford’s daughter Seryna wrote on the fundraiser.
“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.”
Seryna wrote the family was in “no way” asking for money “but if anyone feels like blessing him he would love to visit his grandchildren.”
On Tuesday, his wish came true when he was flown out to New York City to appear on NBC’s “Today” show and was reunited with his grandchildren live on television.
“I haven’t seen my grandkids in over four years, until the other day when ‘The Today Show’ flew me out to New York and I got to see them live on TV,” Ford told the outlet.
“I’ve been crying for all these days as it is and of course, I’m crying live on TV again seeing my grandbabies.”
As for the money that’s been raised for him, Ford said he doesn’t have any plans to retire or take a vacation just yet and is solely focused on his family.
“You never know, it’s day to day but I haven’t thought of anything to do with that money except to visit my grandkids for a while and maybe put some up for their college, but I’m not even thinking about that,” he told the outlet.
“I’m just working.”