Jen Thomas
Every so often, the internet rallies together to do a good deed, and a new major milestone has been announced for a veteran.
Kind-hearted people came to the aid of 88-year-old Ed Bambas, a veteran who was still working in a supermarket after a company lost his pension back in 2012 when it went bankrupt.
At the last update, a million dollars was raised for Ed, to allow him to retire and enjoy his time.
As well as losing his pension, his wife also became sick, and he had to sell their home to make ends meet, as he lost their health insurance at the same time as his pension.
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His plight went viral after it emerged he has been working eight-hour shifts, five days a week, at a supermarket based some 45 miles west of Detroit.
His change in fortunes came when someone nominated him to Sam Weidenhofer, an influencer who likes to do good in the world and to give back.
Sam flew from Australia to Michigan to meet the veteran in the supermarket where he works, after managing to track him down.
The influencer gave him a $400 tip and set up a GoFundMe, which started raking in thousands of dollars in no time.
Sam has now shared an update of the total raised: a whopping $1.77 million, and it's a history-making moment for the fundraising platform.
He wrote: "1.77 MILLION, One of the biggest individual fundraisers in GoFundMe HISTORY. You’ve changed Ed, an 88-year-old veteran's life, from the bottom of my heart thank you!"
The caption continued: "You haven’t just helped Ed, you’ve raised awareness & spread hope to the ENTIRE WORLD. Thank you. Thank you . Thank you. We have the best community in the world."
He shared it with a picture of an emotional-looking Ed, as he presented him with the enormous check for $1,771,406.
The veteran was (unsurprisingly) completely overwhelmed and tearful at the gift.
Talking about the newfound fame, the 88-year-old told WXYZ News: "It came out of the clear blue — I really truly mean that."
"I've never been on those programs (TikTok and Instagram), I don't own one of those fancy cellphones. In fact, I still have a flip phone just to talk to people."
He talked about his late wife, too, in a heartbreaking moment: "I try to go to the gravesite every day. It helps me get through my day."
It looks like Sam might have to make a new check, though, as the cash keeps rolling in.
At the time of writing, the new total stands at $1,854,126.
One commenter suggested different ways Ed could spend the money: "Watch every sunrise and sunset Ed! Eat lobster, bring your wife fresh flowers every time you visit. Do all the things. You deserve this and so much more Ed. Thank you for your service Sir!" while others echoed the sentiment, thanking him for his time in the military."