Influencer Launches Online Effort to Help Elderly Cashier
Rory McCarty, a business owner from Maryland, was going about his daily errands when a trip to Walmart changed things for both him and the charismatic cashier he encountered. According to NPR, McCarty was checking out when he noticed that Warren “Butch” Marion, the cashier, was getting on in years. What McCarty did next touched the hearts, and pockets, of people worldwide.
Hard work pays off
The NY Post reports that Marion is an army veteran who worked for decades at General Motors and other companies. His eight to nine hour shifts at Walmart, however, were necessary to help him make ends meet and pay off some debt. Despite his advanced age, for Marion, retiring was not an option.
According to NPR, as a business owner, McCarty noticed how hard the older man was working, a trait he says he doesn’t see too often. So when he saw Marion at the register hustling and giving it his all, he was impressed. Marion, who is affectionately known as Butch, was 82-years-old at the time.
The video goes viral
While checking out, McCarty decided to pull out his phone and see what could be done about helping the cashier by posting this video on Tik Tok. McCarty had about 277,000 followers on TikTok, reported The New York Post, and they caught on to the mission of helping Marion retire. “I just wanted to put something in motion, and the Lord did the rest,” he told FOX 5.
The Tik Toker created a Go Fund Me campaign for his followers and others to donate to, with the ambitious goal of raising funds that would go directly to Marion and give him the financial freedom to finally retire. 5,700 donors contributed and shattered the campaign goal, reported Fox5.
A new life
Marion and McCarty are good friends now. They spend time together, continue to make TikTok videos and enjoy each other’s company.
Marion says the money will help him pay off some debt and go on that long awaited trip to visit his daughters and grandchildren in Florida, who he hasn’t hugged in years. And now, according to Now This News, he can finally retire.
Who knew what one trip to Walmart, one video and a lot of kind hearts could do for Butch Marion. The power of social media and the unyielding power of kindness wins again.
