Detroit: In just two days, a GoFundMe campaign has raised over $200,000 to help a Detroit man pay for a car.
Each day, James Robertson, 56, walks 21 miles each day round trip just to get to his job. No matter what the weather, Robertson has been hiking it to work ever since his car broke down 10 years ago.
Robertson gets only about two hours of sleep between arriving home from work and departing again.
His story reached millions, prompting 19-year-old Evan Leedy to set up a GoFundMe page to help Robertson out.
Leedy, a Wayne State University student, said he initially aimed to raise only $5,000 with the GoFundMe campaign, but the money donated by thousands of people who pitched in has exceeded his expectations.
Robertson’s story originally caught attention after his profile was reported by the Detroit Free Press.
The funds likely will be managed by a board of professionals who would make sure the donations go towards the cost of having and maintaining a car, including the high auto insurance rates that Detroit motorists pay.
“I am just so stunned,” Robertson told People magazine. “Who would have thought that just a simple walk would have turned into this? I would have told you that you were crazy a few days ago … I am taking this as a sign that it’s time I start driving again and getting more than two hours of sleep a night,” he added.
Robertson’s total commute split between different buses and a marathon walk. He has been taking this route to reach his job in Rochester Hills from his home. Despite this formidable obstacle, Robertson has never missed a day of work. “I can’t imagine not working,†he said.
But that’s not the only gift Robertson is getting. According to The Blaze, Rodgers Chevrolet in Woodhaven, Michigan, offered to give Robertson a free 2014 Chevrolet Cruz or Sonic after sales manager Darwin Filey came across his story on Facebook.