Kind man raises over $100,000 to help Navy veteran retire. The 82-year-old was working at Walmart

Working in itself is a task regardless of your age. Having to live through long late shifts while catering to customers can take a physical and mental toll on an able-bodied person literally any day. It is excruciatingly tiresome. We can only imagine how menacingly hard it might be for senior workers to function like that given the limitations and constraints age gives them. In a Walmart in Maryland, Rory McCarty was buying batteries and was ready to check out when his cashier happened to be Warren Butch Marion, an 82-year-old widower, and U.S. Navy veteran. Genuinely concerned about the situation, McCarty questioned Butch about his life and made him aware of the many GoFundMe campaigns that have collected more than thousands of dollars to help older citizens in their retirement, reports My Modern Met. 

“Imagine someone raised that kind of money for you,” McCarty told him in a TikTok video, eliciting a timid smile from the cashier. That wasn't too long ago because just after a few days, McCarty had raised over $100,000 to help aid Butch. McCarty, who is the owner of an extermination business, had substantially used TikTok to showcase his services until he crossed paths with Butch. “As a business owner and knowing how hard it's been to try to find a good help for my business. I was astounded seeing this little older man still grinding,” writes McCarty. “I wanted to help this Navy veteran to live the remainder of his years traveling to see his kids in Florida. Get him off his feet for 8 hrs at a time. And do the things he would love to do that he may not be able to for financial reasons.”

The TikTok video of his first exchange with Marion has amassed 3.3 million views on the platform and inspired people to contribute to the GoFundMe campaign initiated by McCarty. Ever since the donations started flowing in, they got to know each other better. McCarty even invited Buch over to his farm where they rode ATVs together. On January 4, Butch eventually retired from Walmart, as McCarty presented him with a check for $108,682, which was obtained through worldwide donations, exceeding the primary amount of $100,000. This campaign is still in action today amassing over $140,000. On the GoFundMe page, McCarty wrote, "Every penny will go to Butch. Janette, the daughter of Butch, has confirmed that I can withdraw the funds on behalf of her father and send them outside of GoFundMe." 

McCarty's utter kindness and thoughtfulness have inspired many people across the country and his actions serve as a gentle reminder that nobody should be left alone to fend for themselves. Honestly, a little glimmer of hope and help goes a long way. Nikki Nace commented under the GoFundMe saying, "Butch, I would like to say that you have given so much to others in your lifetime, it is now time for others to give to you. Please take this time to rest, retire and fish to your heart's content. God bless you sir, and thank you for your service to our country." Crystal Caligiuri commented, "Butch, you are so inspiring that I had to be a part of the next phase of your life journey. Thank you to both of you for helping me to take part. I am so excited for you to rest and spend time with those grandbabies!" 

“You're a good man for doing this, Mr. McCarty. You serve as an inspiration to us all to find opportunities to help others,” @d_roberge8 penned under the picture on McCarty's Instagram post of the day he handed Butch the check. Although this story has warmed many souls and won many hearts, some users on Reddit speculated about the credibility of the whole situation reiterating that people's lives do not necessarily need to be funded like this. "It's nice he was helped. People's lives should not, however, have to be crowdfunded", commented u/ReginaldSP.