A Burger King employee who went viral for never missing work in more than two decades has been able to buy his first home thanks to a fundraising campaign.
In June 2022, Kevin Ford posted a video on TikTok sharing the gifts he received after 27 years working for the fast food chain, which included a movie ticket, a Starbucks mug, a bag of Reese’s Pieces, two packs of Life Keepers, two pencils , lanyard and two key rings.
After the video went viral and many criticized the gifts, Ford’s daughter started a GoFundMe campaign that had raised nearly $440,000 as of Tuesday afternoon. As a result of the generosity of thousands of donors, Ford was able to use some of the donations to buy his first home, TMZ reported.
In a Dec. 29 TikTok video, Ford gave supporters a look at the property and thanked them for making the purchase possible.
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“I know it’s not a mansion, but it’s mine,” he said as he pointed to the property. “I want to thank everyone around the world for what you have done for me, something I thought would never be possible: owning a home.”
“This is truly the American dream. A Christmas miracle,” he added.
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As the video drew to a close, he remarked, “Remember, love yourself because I love you. God bless you and thank you.”
Kevin Ford.
Kevin Ford
In his initial TikTok video, Ford said that in the 27 years he’s worked for Burger King, he’s “never missed a day of work, never even called in.”
“This is my reward for 27 years of work. Thank you guys,” he added.
“He originally started this job as a single father when he got custody of me and my older sister 27 years ago,” his daughter Seryna wrote in a message on the fundraising page. “Then, as our family grew and he remarried, he continued to work there because of the incredible health insurance this employer provided because he was unionized. That put all four of his daughters through high school and college with full health insurance.”
“My dad still works there because even though he looks young, he’s getting to retirement age and leaving would cost him his pension,” she added. “We are not asking for money in any way nor is he expecting money, but if anyone wants to bless him, he would like to visit his grandchildren.”
After the popularity of the first TikTok video, the family even appeared on Today. “My dad deserves the world for me, in my opinion,” Seryna said at the time.
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In an interview with PEOPLE last year, Ford explained why his story resonated with others.
“I think people wanted to be a part of something beautiful for once and this is beautiful,” he said. “It’s a miracle.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education