Burger King Employee Who Went 27 Years Without Missing a Day of Work Buys First Home Thanks to Donations

“I know it’s not a mansion, but it's mine,” said Kevin Ford, who has received money from thousands of donors after going viral on TikTok

A Burger King employee who went viral for never having missed a day of work in over two decades was able to purchase his first home thanks to a fundraising campaign.

In June 2022, Kevin Ford posted a video on TikTok in which he shared the gifts he received after 27 years of work for the fast food chain, which included a movie ticket, a Starbucks cup, a bag of Reese’s Pieces, two packs of Life Savers, two pens, a lanyard and two keychains.

After the video went viral, with many criticizing the gifts, Ford's daughter launched a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised nearly $440,000 as of Tuesday afternoon. As a result of the generosity from thousands of donors, Ford was able to use a portion of the donations to buy his first home, TMZ reported.

In a Dec. 29 TikTok video, Ford offered his supporters a glimpse at the property and thanked them for making the purchase possible.

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“I know it’s not a mansion, but it's mine,” he said while showing off the property. “I want to thank everyone all around the world for what you’ve done for me, something that I thought would never be possible for me: home ownership.”

"This is truly an American dream. A Christmas miracle," he added.

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As the video came to a close he remarked, “Remember, love yourself because I love you. God bless you and thank you.”

In his initial TikTok video, Ford said that in the 27 years he had worked for Burger King he "never missed not one day of work, never even called out."

“This is my reward for working 27 years. Thank you guys,” he added.

“He originally began working at this job as a single father when he gained custody of me and my older sister 27 years ago," his daughter Seryna wrote in a message on the fundraising page. "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."

“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 added. "In no way are we asking for money or is he expecting any money but if anyone feels like blessing him he would love to visit his grandchildren.”

Following the popularity of the initial TikTok video, the family even made an appearance on Today. "My dad deserves the world to me, in my opinion," Seryna said at the time.

Related: Restaurant Worker Digs Through Trash to Find Missing Denture — Then Gets $1,000 Kindness Prize

In an interview with PEOPLE last year, Ford explained why his story resonated with others.

“I think people wanted to be a part of something beautiful for once and this is beautiful," he said. "It’s a miracle."

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