Introduction of a Story on an Online Fundraising Site
Over 5,400 Participants and More Than 300 Million Won Raised in Four Days
A miraculous event occurred when the story of an elderly American man, aged 90, who supports his livelihood by working part-time organizing shopping carts in the scorching heat, went viral and over 300 million won in donations poured in within just four days.
On the 1st (local time), the British daily The Guardian reported on the recent events involving Dylan McCormick (90), a retired Air Force veteran working in a supermarket parking lot in Metairie, a small town on the outskirts of New Orleans, Louisiana. McCormick collects and organizes scattered shopping carts at the store.
Despite it being Memorial Day in the U.S. on the 27th of last month, he was working without rest. Moreover, the apparent temperature reached 39 degrees Celsius on that hot day. His situation caught the eye of Karen Swenson Ronquillo, a former local news anchor.
An online fundraising site 'GoFundMe' page created to help 90-year-old Dylan McCormick, who works part-time organizing carts at a mart [Image source: Screenshot from 'GoFundMe' homepage, Yonhap News]
Ronquillo approached McCormick, who was struggling to push the carts, and asked, "You're working even on Memorial Day. May I ask why?" McCormick briefly replied, "To eat." After returning home, Ronquillo posted McCormick’s story on the online fundraising site GoFundMe and started a campaign to help him retire.
On GoFundMe, Ronquillo wrote, "McCormick needs $2,500 (about 3.46 million won) monthly for living expenses, but he only receives $1,100 (1.52 million won) from Social Security." She added, "To make up the difference, he works at the supermarket, sometimes pushing more than 20 carts at once, navigating through the maze of parked cars."
Her post received an explosive response, and by the 31st of last month, just four days after the fundraiser began, about 5,400 people had contributed, raising a total of $233,000 (approximately 300 million won).
McCormick’s retirement decision has not yet been made. Ronquillo said, "Whether McCormick retires or continues working is up to him," adding, "He no longer has to push shopping carts in the heat to make a living, and he can drive instead of walking to work." In an interview with CBS, McCormick expressed gratitude, saying, "Meeting Ronquillo was a stroke of luck. There are very few good people like her left in this crazy world."
The Guardian explained that McCormick’s case reflects the harsh economic reality in the U.S., where although life expectancy has increased, social security benefits have been reduced, causing the retirement age to rise steadily. The media also cited Alicia Munnell, director of the Retirement Research Center at Boston College, noting that the retirement age for American men and women rose from 59 and 62 in 1992 to 62 and 65 in 2021, respectively.
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