Burger King employee gets a small gift for his 27 years of loyalty — then David Spade showed up

Giving an entire lifetime to a single company seems like a valuable contribution, but such dedication isn't rewarded in the case of every employee. Kevin Ford, a Burger King employee, was one of those who only got a Starbucks cup, two pens, a candy pack, and a movie ticket, for 27 years of service at the fast-food chain. Ford worked as a cook and cashier and never missed a day of work at the McCarran International Airport outlet. As soon as his story was shared online with a video, people on TikTok criticized Burger King and decided to raise funds to make life better for Ford post-retirement. Among those who did their bit for him, was none other than comedian and actor David Spade.

Ford's daughter saw a chance to properly celebrate her father's extraordinary commitment and decided to start a GoFundMe campaign. She revealed, "He originally began working at this job as a single father when he gained custody of me and my older sister 27 years ago. Then as our family grew and he remarried, he continued [sic] to work here because of the amazing health insurance that was provided through this employer because it was unionized." As reported by People Magazine, she added, "Which got all four of his daughters through high school and college with full healthcare coverage."

She mentioned that Ford's greatest wish was simply to visit his beloved grandchildren. Initially, the fundraiser had a humble target of $200 for the trip. But as his story spread, donations poured in from people eager to reward his years of dedication. Among the generous contributors, Spade donated $5,000. A longtime fan of Spade, Ford didn’t even believe that it truly came from him, until he spotted a DM from the star. “Keep up the good work. 27 years,” Spade wrote. Ford responded to this and wrote, "Cannot Believe This!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! For even Watching the Video! I Love You, My Brother!!! Much Love and God Bless... LLP."

Spade even joked that Ford might as well keep his perfect attendance streak going for a few more years before considering a break. For Ford, a longtime admirer of the comedian, a generous donation and some lighthearted banter from Spade felt like something out of a dream, as reported by TMZ. Later on, speaking with YouTuber Sierra Nicole, Ford revealed just how deeply moved he was by the overwhelming support that had come his way. He said, "I just want to say thanks to everybody out there. It's just so overwhelming. I'm just Kevin, you know. I just love everybody. I think that it probably touched people because I think we as humans, period, just need love and gratitude. And when you see someone like that, you know, ... I was happy to get anything. Some people got nothing, so I was just happy to get anything."

Meanwhile, Burger King clarified that the presents were only a part of a peer-to-peer reward program for a temporary accomplishment and that they arrived in HMS Host packaging. The fast-food giant responded to the criticism by highlighting its dedication to recognizing staff achievements and claiming that its franchisee provides a thorough recognition program that includes financial bonuses and tenure-based awards.