People raise over $36,000 for elderly man who was given low-key retirement send-off by company after working 42 years
Generous members of the public have come together to make one man's retirement is a moment he'll never forget by raising more than $36,000 for him.
After giving decades of your life to one particular company, you'd hope that your last day would be a fairly special one.
Companies aren't required to give extravagant send-offs, but after seeing the farewell her colleague John Bartlett got after 42 years of work, TikToker Sonia just didn't feel it was good enough.
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In a post on the platform, Sonia shed light on John's service to the California company. She did not reveal the company where she and John worked together.
“The company only threw him a barbecue and gave him a certificate," she said. "He takes the bus and Bart (train) to get here every day on time. He’s 70+.
“He loves working here so much he didn’t want to retire. No bonus, just a barbecue and a certificate. Don’t be a slave to your job. Thank you John for your loyalty.”
The original video has since been deleted, but social media users weren't going to forget about John.
Sonia ended up setting up a GoFundMe for John, which has since been passed to the man himself, and strangers from across the globe have managed to raise more than $36,000 to give John the send-off he deserved.
"Happy retirement John," one donor wrote. "These days it is nearly impossible to find people who are happy to do an honest day’s work & also take pride in a job well done; it sounds like you have done both so I hope this small donation contributes towards a bigger reward for a job well done!"
Sonia was left stunned by the success of the fundraiser, and returned to TikTok to praise everyone who had taken part for their 'great work'.
She shared a follow-up video explaining to John how much money had been raised, telling him his story had 'inspired the world'.
"There are so many people who related to you...They wanted to give you something for their retirement on their part... This morning I checked [the fundraiser] and it was $36,500. So you deserve it."
Sonia assured John now has 'full access' to the fundraiser, which is currently paused as Sonia transferred it into John's name.
"Not sure if they will unpause it but feel free to message them on gofundme," she told invested viewers.
It's unclear what John plans to do with the money, but Sonia made clear that he deserves every penny.
"Mr. John did so much for us without asking. He is so selfless, you ask him for a hand and he will give you two!!!" she wrote, adding: "God bless this man and protect him at all cost."
Emily Brown