Viral TikTok Trend Promotes Fundraisers To Help Elderly Walmart Employees With A Secured Retirement

TikTok creators have bucked a new trend called #TikTokWalmartretiree, as part of which users are being urged to raise funds for elderly Walmart employees for their retirement.

In a new video shared on the platform on Dec. 19, an 82-year-old employee named Butch can be seen being approached by a 53-year-old user who explains to him how other workers had gone viral on the platform and received thousands of dollars in donations through a GoFundMe fundraiser.

The trend was first set up by a woman called Devan Bonagura, who created a video in November featuring an 81-year-old employee called Nora. The video in which Bonagura appealed to the users to raise funds for the elderly woman went viral, amassing a whopping $170,000 in donations through the fundraiser, thus ensuring a secure retired life for the retiree. Nora's video clocked in over 30 million views.

Nora's story influenced another TikTok user who made a similar video in support of another 82-year-old employee to raise funds for her medical bills, which she said reached well over $9,000. Like Nora's video, this one, too, struck a chord with viewers, garnering over 14 million views and raising over $129,000.

The most recent version featuring Butch has also become an instant hit among viewers and raked in $50,000 in just 24 hours. The man behind the video, Rory McCarty, created a GoFundMe page called "Butch" which aims to reach $100,000, Insider reported.

"We went to $50,000 in 24 hours, and then we went to $75,000 in probably less than 12 hours, so we're about $25,000 every 12 hours," McCarty told Insider.

McCarty said in the day prior to shooting the video, Butch told him in a phone call that he wanted to tender a two weeks' notice before leaving, but he was "done" working at the store. "I'm so happy for him," he told Insider. "He can still stay active but stay active doing things that he loves to do, instead of just grinding at 82 at Walmart."

The videos divided the internet in opinion, with some rooting for the noble intent hidden behind the efforts and a few others calling them out for oversimplifying the hardships faced by senior employees at Walmart.