After 27 yrs of loyalty, Burger King worker received goodie bag — internet rallies to raise $450,000 for him

Kevin Ford, a longtime Burger King employee, was handed a goodie bag for his 27 years of service—a gesture many saw as an afterthought. Yet, the story has taken an incredible turn: Ford has now received over $400,000 in donations. “It’s like a dream come true,” Ford told TODAY. “It’s overwhelming, especially the support I’m receiving every day. It’s awesome.” The goodie bag, sent by HMS Host (Burger King’s staffing partner), included a bag of Reese's, a Starbucks reusable cup, two pens, and a single movie ticket, TMZ reported. Ford, who works as a cashier and cook at the Las Vegas airport Burger King, felt the gift was simply thrown together from items "they had lying around."

"We used to get checks for 20 years, and that's what I actually thought that movie ticket was. I was like 'hey, they finally gave me my card', and then I saw it was not even two movie tickets—it was one. So I was like 'this is just too much', and [it seemed] it was just stuff they had laying around that they put together," he said. Public outrage followed after Ford shared a video of his goodie bag, as many were shocked and angered by the paltry gift for nearly three decades of service. A GoFundMe campaign was started to remind Ford that he was much more valued. The campaign has now raised more than $400,000. "My father 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," wrote his daughter, Seryna Ford. "My dad continues to work here because though he does look young, he is coming up on retirement age, and leaving would cost him his retirement," read the description. 

One of the biggest donations came from actor and comedian David Spade. As we reported, he donated $5,000 to the GoFundMe campaign and also dropped him a message on Instagram. It was Ford's daughter who told him Spade had made a donation. When Ford checked his Instagram messages, he saw a message from the actor, congratulating him. Ford replied, “Holy s**t dude!!! Cannot Believe This!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH For even Watching the Video! I Love You My Brother!!! Much Love and God Bless... I think might be able to take a Day Off...” Spade joked, “Wait till year 30.” Ford chuckled and replied, “Damn, Are You One Of My Managers??? Thank You Again Sir, You're the Best. Have A Great Day...”

Burger King tried to play down the incident after the video gained attention online. The fast-food chain said the gifts were in HMS Host packaging and were just a “peer-to-peer reward in recognition of a short-term positive performance/experience." The company claimed it recognized the milestones of employees. “The franchisee offers its Team Members a robust employee recognition program, which includes the recognition of tenure milestones and monetary awards,” said the spokesperson.

Ford also experienced an emotional moment on national TV, reuniting with his daughter Seryna and three grandchildren after four years apart. “It means a lot to us,” said Seryna, referring to the love being showered on her father. “My dad deserves the world … he made me the person that I am.”

This article originally appeared 2 years ago.