By Kara Thompson,
MDDC Intern
Kevin Ford has never missed a day of work as a Burger King chef in Las Vegas, Nevada.
For 27 years he has dealt with the hustle and bustle and everything else that comes with working in America’s fast food industry. And while most people celebrate their work anniversary with little fuss- this year has proven to be different.
After the company offered the fast food veteran candy, a movie ticket, and a Starbucks cup as an anniversary gift, his family- and then a nation- stepped in.
Ford’s daughter, Seryna Ford, turned to GoFundMe to raise money for her father—with an original goal of $200—as a well-earned gift for his 27 years of hard work.
“He has 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,” said Seryna in the GoFundMe description. “Then as our family grew and he remarried, he continued to work there because of the amazing health insurance that was provided through this employer because it was unionized. This got all four of his daughters through high school and college with full healthcare coverage.”
Over $350,000 has been raised.
The story and the GoFundMe went viral after a TikTok video was posted, showing the company giving their gifts to Floyd for his 27th year of service. The video, posted under the name @thekeep777 has been shared over 900 times.
“My dad continues to work there, because though he does look young, he is coming up on retirement age and leaving would cost him his retirement,” she continued, adding that her father wasn’t “expecting money,” but “if anyone feels like blessing him he would love to visit his grandchildren.”
About 13 percent of fast food and counter workers are Black, and only about 10.8 percent of fast food managers are Black, as compared to 59.7 percent being white, according to DataUSA.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the mean hourly wage of fast food workers is $12.25 as of May 2021.
According to Forbes, Burger King made a total of $9.6 billion in 2020.
Since the GoFundMe started on June 20, the fundraising goal has moved as donations have poured in from all over. On June 28, Ford was asked to appear on the Today Show, where he was reunited with his grandchildren live on the show.
As of July 8, there have been 12,500 donations, with a total of $377,212 raised for Ford.
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