Kevin Ford hasn’t missed a day of work in 27 years. To thank him for his loyalty, the Las Vegas McCarran International Airport Burger King employee received a gift bag of goodies from his job – a movie ticket, candy, lanyard, pens, coffee tumbler, and a few other items. A video on TikTok and also his Instagram page showing him thanking the team for the gift went viral and the rest is history.
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Expressing His Gratitude for Being Appreciated
The 54-year-old father of four has been getting noticed by so many for his hard work and loyalty and is appreciative of all the positive attention. “I’m grateful for everything. I’m grateful for every day I wake up, that I can go to work, that I can be a good citizen, be a good American, and just, you know, do my part. I’m just grateful for everything I get,” he said during an interview on “Today.” “It’s like a dream, a dream come true, that nobody can think of this. It’s just overwhelming. Especially all of the support I’m receiving every day. It’s awesome.”
His GoFundMe Page Has Blown Up
Ford’s daughter Seryna set up the GoFundMe page to honor her father’s dedication and to help raise $200 so he could take a vacation to visit her and his grandchildren in Texas. The fundraising effort blew past that goal and has currently raised more than $280,000 and is still going strong. Seryna said on the show, “My dad deserves the world, to me, in my opinion. My dad gave me the world. My dad made me the person that I am, so, I love my dad more than I can ever put into words.”
Ford is stunned by the amazing generosity of so many people, including from actor David Spade who donated $5,000. “When David Spade sent me money, let alone watched my video, I was blown away,” Ford said.
So Much Positive Attention
Ford was asked to be on “Today” to discuss all that has happened in recent weeks, and while on the show, he got another amazing surprise – a visit from his daughter and grandchildren, who he hasn’t seen in four years. Before his surprise family visit, co-hosts Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin discussed all the emotions he went through after the video went viral. “It’s like a dream come true that nobody could even think of this. It’s just overwhelming. Especially all the support I’m receiving every day. It’s just awesome,” Ford said on the show.
The Gifts Keep on Coming
While at “Today,” Ford and his family got the chance to meet Steve Carell and take photos with him. His excitement and appreciation for this moment can be felt just by reading his Instagram caption, “Met Steve Carell Today!! He’s the Best, What a Nice Person!!! Thank You Al Roker, Savannah Guthrie, Craig Melvin, Carson Daly, Sunny Irene and the Entire NBC Crew Too for Everything Today, They Were Awesome!!!”
Grateful for It All – Even the Original Gifts
As his GoFundMe continues to grow, so does his gratitude for it all. He said he’s still more than grateful for the original goodie bag from his manager. “I loved it…I was just grateful to have it,” he said. “I’m still grateful. I got that cup in my room.”
