The Red Baron employee who went viral last week for confronting a prankster has thanked supporters and asked them to help others after a fundraiser for his family collected nearly $800,000.
The worker, identified on the fundraiser as Walt Z, left a comment on the GoFundMe started for him by Luke Oakenshield, a military veteran from Chandler, Arizona, who didn’t know Walt before the incident.
As of Thursday, the collection had skyrocketed to $787,477 before the fundraiser was paused.
“Your kind words have meant the world to my family and I this past week. I still cannot believe how much you have all rallied behind us, and I can never thank you enough. I’ve been able to spend lots of extra time at home with my family this week,” Walt wrote in his update.
“I’ve also stayed in touch with Luke, and I look forward to continuing that friendship as he navigates all the blessings that have come his way.”
Walt said he’d decided not to give any interviews to protect his family’s “safety and privacy,” and was pausing donations after a week of support. He asked those who felt compelled to give more to “consider supporting another fundraiser, a local charity, or a church helping families in need this holiday season.”
“This will be my last update as I focus on my family, and we enjoy the holidays together,” Walt’s statement concluded. “Thank you for your kindness, your generosity, and for making my family feel so supported. We will never forget it.”
The outpouring followed a viral video showing Walt stocking freezer shelves in his Red Baron uniform when one of the pranksters asked him the time. When Walt took out his smartphone, the person pretended to steal money by scanning it with his own phone while playing a pre-recorded Apple Pay sound.
Walt responded by describing the long hours he worked and his struggle to support his four children.
“My life is hard enough as it is, okay? I don’t need this crap,” Walt says in the video.
“Bro, bro, it’s just a joke! It’s just a prank,” the person filming replies.
“I got kids at home that went to bed without me right now! I was supposed to be off an hour ago! I gotta wake up at 5 in the morning and do 10 more stores!” Walt says, becoming emotional.
“I’m sorry, bro, chill. We’re just filming a video; it was just a joke,” the person replies as Walt cuts him off and steps forward.
“No, you don’t! You’re probably making money off of this! I can’t even pay my goddamn mortgage! And I got four kids at home! So not funny!” Walt can be heard shouting.
The pranksters originally uploaded the video to Instagram, but the account was deactivated after the video went viral across multiple social media platforms.
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