A Michigan grocery worker who became an overnight internet sensation has seen strangers rally around him with more than $650,000 in donations, after a prank video filmed while he was stocking frozen pizzas went viral.
Walt Z, a direct store delivery worker for Red Baron Pizza, was filmed in August while working in the frozen food aisle, according to reports. In the clip, a content creator asked him for the time, then played a sound mimicking an Apple Pay transaction and pretended to have taken $10 from his phone.
A father’s frustration struck a chord
In the video, Walt Z told the prankster plainly that the joke was not funny to him. He said he had four children at home, had been supposed to finish work an hour earlier, and was still on the job. Viewers heard a working father at the end of a long shift, and the response was swift.
A stranger, Luke Oakenshield, who says he had never met Walt Z, started a GoFundMe campaign titled “Support a Harassed Red Baron Worker.” Donations poured in from across the country, and the campaign passed $500,000 by October 30, according to the Detroit News.
Employer backing and a $38,000 gift
Red Baron Pizza publicly backed its employee, posting on X: “He’s still here. He’s got a fan club. Including us,” alongside a graphic declaring employee of the month nominations closed. Parent company Schwan confirmed Walt Z remains employed.
The total climbed further after entrepreneur and politician Vivek Ramaswamy and his wife Apoorva donated $38,000, listed as the campaign’s top single gift. SoapCentral reported the total at $655,943 from about 18,300 donations, against a goal raised to $700,000.
Walt Z has since thanked donors in a message on the fundraiser, saying their support has made a difference to him and his family, while asking for privacy as he considers whether to tell his story publicly. GoFundMe has said it is coordinating with the organiser to ensure the funds reach him.
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