New Orleans
Thousands of dollars have been raised to help an Air Force veteran retire.
Louisiana resident Karen Swensen recently shared a video of 90-year-old Dillon McCormick working out in the heat at an area Winn-Dixie store.
“How old am I? Just made 90 in November,” McCormick can be heard telling Swensen in the video.
According to Swensen, she spotted McCormick working at the grocery store in temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit on Memorial Day, grabbing carts in the parking lot.
“I watched a 90-year-old United States Air Force veteran collect and push shopping carts at a Metairie, Louisiana, grocery store,” she shared. “Back and forth, back and forth, stacking cart after cart, sometimes more than twenty at a time.”
Swensen said he even got help collecting some of the carts from a few customers who frequently shop at the store.
The former news reporter shared that McCormick found himself still working at 90 years old because he needed the money to help cover his expenses.
“Mr. McCormick is working to eat, he said. He needs $2500/month to live and says he only gets $1,100 from Social Security. So, he must push carts in triple-digit heat to make ends meet,” she wrote while sharing her video.
Swensen said McCormick had the “kindest smile” and the “greatest attitude” even while working for hours outside in the heat.
“He pushes carts for hours. I met regular shoppers who say they see him doing this “all the time,”' she said.
Swensen shared her video while starting a GoFundMe for McCormick in hopes of helping raise money for him to retire.
“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. “No donation is too small. If we could raise even enough for him to retire for a year, it’s something. Thank you!”
Swensen said the fundraising effort paid off with thousands of dollars being donated within just a few hours.
“Thank you to all who donated to Mr. McCormick’s fund. Together, we raised more than $220,000 in 24 hours, enough for him to retire!” Swensen shared in an update on Tuesday.
She said McCormick will no longer have to push shopping carts in the heat to put food on his table.
As of Thursday, the GoFundMe account had nearly $230,000 in donations.
Swensen said she is going to start the process of transferring the funds to McCormick.
“What a delightful day awaits for him! God bless all of you and God bless our veterans,” she shared.
