ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

Burger King employee receives goodie bag after 27 years of loyalty. So, David Spade stepped in to help.

The story resonated with thousands of fans who made sure to set things right for the hardworking man .
UPDATED DEC 11, 2024
Burger King employee and David Spade talking on show | Image Source: TikTok: @thekeep777 and David Spade | Facebook
Burger King employee and David Spade talking on show | Image Source: TikTok: @thekeep777 and David Spade | Facebook

A Burger King employee's small gift was stepped up by actor David Spade in 2022. The fast food chain faced backlash for presenting a “less than modest" goodie bag to Kevin Ford for his 27 years of perfect attendance. He posted a video showing his reaction to the small gift which quickly went viral and caught the eye of the "Saturday Night Live" star.

Ford worked as a cook and cashier at a Burger King in Las Vegas’ McCarran International Airport. He served the popular fast food chain without missing a single day. While he never expected any rewards for his remarkable record, the management gave him a small gift of appreciation on his 27th work anniversary. 


@thekeep777 People Say You Can't Keep Workers Nowadays, He Even Worked Through the Early Covid Days, Never Missing A Day of Work, This Union-Guys Worked At Vegas' Airport for Over 27 Years, He Got Nothing on His 25th Anniversary Date, But Just Look How Grateful His Employer Was on His 27th Year... #Grateful #Loyalty #GoFundMe . . Thank You Everyone for All the Love and Support!!! 😊😊😭👍🏽💯 Your the Best!!! Kevin... https://www.gofundme.com/f/kevin-27-years?utm_source=customer-andr https://www.tmz.com/2022/06/23/viral-burger-king-employee-hope-more-goodie-bag/ #Thankful #LoyaltyPaysOff #HardWorkPaysOff #HMSShoutOut #TMZ #CNN #MSNBC #Reels #UnionStrong #Honor ♬ original sound - Kevin Ford K27Y(Kevin27Years)

 

The thank-you package included a single movie ticket, a Starbucks cup, a few candy bars, and a backpack to hold everything. While one may expect more, Ford was happy with the gesture. He shared a video of himself showing off the items and expressing his gratitude.

The video quickly went viral and people were shocked to see the lack of appreciation Ford received. Viewers felt that Ford’s loyalty warranted more. 

Screenshot from the comments | TikTok | @caesarweasel
Screenshot of a comment demanding more for the employee (Image source: TikTok | @caesarweasel)

Ford gave away some of the items to his coworkers as a thankful gesture for their camaraderie and support. His unwavering positivity and humility resonated with people around the world. 

Ford's daughter, Seryna went on to set up a GoFundMe for the 54-year-old grandad, at the time, ABC reported. The campaign was set up to raise funds for his retirement.

On the campaign page, she wrote that while her dad looked young, he was nearing retirement age and he couldn't leave his job as it would "cost him his retirement."


 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by Kevin Ford (@thekeep777)


 

While the fundraiser was launched with a modest goal of $200, Ford's story blew up the campaign. People donated thousands of dollars, hoping to give the diligent worker what he deserved.

Among the contributors was comedian and actor David Spade who donated $5,000 to the campaign. Ford, who is a big fan of Spade, didn’t realize it was the real David Spade until he read a direct message from the star on Instagram obtained by TMZ. “Keep up the good work. 27 years,” Spade wrote in his message. He even shared a lighthearted joke telling Ford that he might have to wait until the 30-year mark to finally take a day off.

Ford told TMZ that he was grateful to receive the donation and for the opportunity to joke around with the star whose contribution pushed the amount to $30,000 at the time. As of September 2024, the GoFundMe page showed that the campaign raised a whopping $465,879. 

In an interview with YouTuber Sierra Nicole, Ford expressed his gratitude to everyone who donated. 



 

"I think that it probably touched people because I think we as humans, period, just need love and gratitude, " he said.

This article originally appeared 2 months ago.

RELATED TOPICS BURGER KING
MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The guest high hopes of earning a five-figure sum but his lack of proof cost him dearly.
20 hours ago
The cleaners must have had the best time after this entrepreneur left the stage.
21 hours ago
The shark did his best not to shed a few tears as he shared a beautiful moment with his wife and kid.
23 hours ago
The host started pointing fingers at the astrophysicist and promised retribution when the time came.
1 day ago
Harrison wasn't too impressed with the piece of rusted metal right from the start.
1 day ago
The embarrassing and chaotic part of the episode was not aired in the final cut.
1 day ago
The guest was quick to give a valuation once it was confirmed that they work.
1 day ago
The woman got a lot of support from fans, and something unexpected happened.
1 day ago
The founder had lost a lot of money due to bad decisions before and did the same again.
2 days ago
Contestants do tend to commit blunders under pressure amidst the energy on the set.
2 days ago
His father was not happy that he overpaid and made it crystal clear to him later on.
2 days ago
They called their product the future of real estate, and almost every single shark bought into it.
2 days ago
Rick Harrison has been wrong about some items in the past, and once even doubted himself.
3 days ago
Fans of some shows can be quite brutal in their assessment and they don't shy away from expressing it.
3 days ago
Ken Jennings might be extremely smart, but even he had to concede defeat to technology more than a decade ago.
3 days ago
While most Sharks were out, the founder of Dirty Cookie, Shahira Marei, found her perfect partner.
3 days ago
Some entrepreneurs need a little push and there's no one like a mother to do that.
4 days ago
The player effortlessly swept the game and Carey was impressed but couldn't respond to the offer.
4 days ago
Richard Benjamin Harrison was very impressed with what the guest had brought to the show, but remained calm.
4 days ago
Jennings is a legend of the game himself and he has a lot of respect for other successful players.
4 days ago