Cityscape

New Update: Online Crowd Gives $43,000+ For Car-Needing Commuter

February 02, 2015, 6:27 AM by  Alan Stamm

Update, 6:30 a.m. Monday: A grass-roots online campaign far surpassed its $25,000 goal to provide a vehicle that lets Detroit tradesman James Robertson reach his Rochester Hills workplace without lengthy bus rides and walks.

The impromptu GoFundMe drive, kindled by a front-page Free Press article on Sunday, exceeds $43,000 in under one day as more than 1,300 people make small and large credit card donations.

"This man has more than earned a helping hand with his terrific work ethic," $25 donor posts Craig Thomas early Monday. 

Fund drive creator Evan Leedy,a WSU junior from Troy, says in a Sunday night update to supporters: "Every one of you on this page are amazing. I hopefully will be seeing James tomorrow or Tuesday."

The 1,900-word article by Bill Laitner also evokes an auto dealership's response, the reporter says in a Sunday night follow-up:

A downriver car dealership offered to give him a 2014 Chevrolet Cruz or Sonic. "He gets to choose," said Angela Osborne, customer service specialist at Rodgers Chevrolet in Woodhaven.

"We were just impressed with his determination," Osborne said. 

Sunday afternoon article:

Compassion for a stranger surfaces on a snowy Super Bowl Sunday. A spontaneous, uplifting response shows the kindness of strangers and the impact of a daily newspaper.

More than 630 people have given over $22,600 in the first six hours of an impromptu online drive to help a Detroiter profiled by Bill Laitner on the Free Press' front page.


More than 630 donors respond by 4 p.m. Sunday.

The GoFundMe campaign, started around 9 a.m. by a WSU junior from Troy, aims to raise $25,000 to buy a used car for James Robertson, 56, who "has a champ's commute," as Laitner puts it.

Getting to and from his factory job 23 miles away in Rochester Hills, he'll take a bus partway there and partway home. And he'll also walk an astounding 21 miles. . . .
It's the life Robertson has led for the last decade, ever since his 1988 Honda Accord quit on him.

Every trip is an ordeal of mental and physical toughness for this soft-spoken man with a perfect attendance record at work. And every day is a tribute to how much he cares about his job.

That dedication and Laitner's skilled storytelling inspired Evan Leedy. 19, to create the donation page. Jiyan Cadiz of Rochester Hills had the same idea, as it turned out, and Leedy posts: "We have been talking to each other on Facebook and we are combining all the money donated."

At the Freep's Facebook page, Leedy says: "What an inspirational story." He contacted the journalist to ask for the paper's help getting the donations to Robertson, an injection molder who earns $10.55 an hour.

A $50 donor, Debi Ruggeri, posts Sunday afternoon at GoFundMe: "God bless you and your exceptional work ethics ♥."

Communication consultant Karen Dumas, a former Detroit mayoral aide, contributed $60. Some donors are from other states. Steve Lehto of Jalopnik, a global automotive news blog, posts an article that links to the page. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are among other benefactors' comments:

  • Juan Delgado, $50: My Dad just retired from a manual labor job and while he is a strong guy, I can't imagine he would have made it to the finish line if he had to walk James' walk each day. Here's to you getting to your own finish line James!  
  • Barry Worthy, $50: Man, dude, you have humblly shamed many people. No excuses. God bless you, brother.
  • Kellie Maletta, $25: God bless you, James! It's so nice to see such a dedicated, hard-working man! What an example you are showing to everyone of how you behave in the face of adversity!
  • Carla Boyd, $50: Let's up the ante and help James not only get a car, but retire!!! He's earned it ten times over. What an incredible man.
  • Heather Lewis, $20: I pray this goes to help this Strong Man. What a testament to hard work. It shouldn't have to be this hard!

Leedy, the WSU student behind the main GoFundMe page, is a computer science major who works full-time as a network system administrator at Illinois Tool Works Global Automotive in Troy.  


Read more:  GoFundMe


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