Viral Burger King cook who never missed work in 27 years fulfills his dream after receiving donations

While people look for opportunities to take leaves from their workplaces to catch a break, Kevin Ford has never felt the need to do so. Ford has been working at a Burger King outlet as a cook for nearly 30 years and holds a record of never missing a day of work. But his years of dedication to his work have earned him nothing but a measly gift, consisting of a goodie bag, per TODAY. But fate had a different plan for him as he received more than $400,000 in donations through GoFundMe, which was set up by his daughter, Seryna Ford.

Now, Ford has been able to use a chunk of that money to buy his first home and he calls it a Christmas miracle, per New York Post. Ford managed to get a permanent roof over his head in Pahrump, Nevada, in 2023 and paid $1777,00 for the 846-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom house and shared the news with his followers on Instagram, @thekeep777. "I wanted to show you something. Something you made possible, you did for me, just a hardworking guy," Ford announced through his Instagram video. "Now I know it needs some work, gonna cut off the haters, already. I know it's not a mansion, but it's mine."

The house is a way bigger deal than what Burger King gifted him for his 27 years of hard work. For only received a backpack, which consisted of a single movie ticket, a Starbucks reusable cup, some candies and pens. When Ford unboxed his gifts in front of his online audience, the viewers were furious on his behalf. Ford's daughter stood by his side and set up the crowdfunding campaign to raise enough money to meet his grandchildren. "In no way are we asking for money or is he expecting any money," Seryna wrote on the GoFundMe in June 2022. "But if anyone feels like blessing him, he would love to visit his grandchildren."

"It's like a dream come true," Ford told the outlet during an interview. "It's overwhelming, especially the support I'm receiving every day. It's awesome." The goodie bag was sent from HMS Host, the company from which Burger King hires staff. He felt like the company had sent him random stuff, which they probably found lying around. Even though the so-called gifts were disappointing, Ford was still grateful to receive them and remained humble. "I'm happy about anything, I'm thankful for anything I get, I'm not that type of person, believe me. I've been through a lot. But like most big corporations, they've kind of lost touch with their workers and through Covid and whatever, they started cutting out programs," he added.

As Ford's story became famous on the internet, NBC's TODAY made arrangements for him to fly to New York and meet his grandchildren as well and the whole journey was documented on live TV. Ford is still working with the same Burger King outlet inside McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas. “I want to thank everyone all around the world for what you have done for me, something I never thought would be possible for me, homeownership,” Ford added while giving a tour of his new residence.

"Now my kids and my grandkids have a place to come visit me, and I just want to thank everybody for being a part of this miracle and for everything you've done for me and continue to do for me every day," he told the New York Post. "This is truly an American dream, it’s a Christmas miracle." Ford's new home also features a fully fenced backyard where he can relax and enjoy. Ford said he plans to use the GoFundMe donations to make some necessary renovations for his new home and gave his daughter some money to fix her own home. The remainder of the money went into his retirement funds.