A former news reporter recently organized a successful fundraiser to help a 90-year-old Air Force veteran retire, who had been working to pay his bills.
Karen Swensen, a former New Orleans news anchor, was moved to action after encountering Dillon McCormick pushing carts in the parking lot of a Louisiana grocery store on a humid 90°F day. Capturing the moment on video, she inspired more than $200,000 in donations.
Backstory
Swensen, who has covered many remarkable stories in her career, was stunned to see the elderly McCormick, a former Air Force member who served in Colorado and Greenland, working under such conditions. McCormick explained that he needed about $2,500 a month to make ends meet but only received half of that from his Social Security checks, prompting him to take the job.
Speaking with other shoppers in the parking lot, Swensen learned that McCormick had been working there for a long time and was always seen gathering shopping carts. Some men mentioned they occasionally stopped to help him, which further motivated Swensen to take action.
“He is a veteran of the United States Military. It’s Memorial Day. It’s hot. Mr. McCormick was born in 1933, making him a part of the Silent Generation. Please, America, let us be his voice. We can do this,” she wrote in the introduction of a GoFundMe campaign with a target of $35,000.
Donation Update
In just 24 hours, donations surpassed $200,000, eventually reaching over $233,000, prompting Swensen to disable the donation button.
“No longer will the 90-year-old veteran have to push shopping carts in triple-digit heat to put food on his table,” Swensen wrote in an update on the GoFundMe page. “Should he choose to remain working, it will be just that—his choice.”
“Tomorrow we will begin the process of transferring the funds. What a delightful day awaits for him!”