Ed Bambas, an 88-year-old Army veteran who still works full-time at a grocery store, is about to receive a surprise that will completely transform his life. Thanks to a viral video and the kindness of thousands of strangers, he’s set to be handed a cheque worth nearly $1.5 million—money raised online to help him finally retire with dignity.
The massive amount was raised through a GoFundMe campaign launched by an Australian influencer who met Bambas by chance while traveling. Their conversation, uploaded to social media, struck an emotional chord around the world and triggered an outpouring of support.
Who Is Ed Bambas?
According to the New York Post, Ed Bambas works at a Meijer grocery store in Brighton, Michigan. Before this, he served in the Army and later worked at General Motors until retiring in 1999. In 2012, Bambas chose to receive a $300,000 lump-sum payout of his pension, as he told CBS News. By opting for the lump sum, his monthly pension payments stopped—this was his personal decision and not related to GM’s bankruptcy.
Life became even harder when his wife of more than 50 years fell seriously ill. Despite the lump-sum payout he had chosen earlier, rising medical costs forced Bambas to sell his home and property to pay for her treatment.
According to GM, retirees in 2012 were given options to either continue monthly lifetime payments or take a lump-sum payout, and Bambas opted for the lump sum.
After his wife passed away seven years ago, he had no choice but to return to work. For the last five years, the 88-year-old has been doing a 40-hour workweek at a supermarket located 45 miles west of Detroit.
A Chance Meeting Changes Everything
Everything shifted when Australian influencer Samuel Wiedenhofer met Bambas and shared his emotional story online.
In Wiedenhofer’s video, Bambas tearfully recalled, “I sold my house, sold the property I had and we made it through. My wife died seven years ago. Since then, I’ve been trying to re-establish myself,” NBC Chicago reported.
Wiedenhofer started a GoFundMe campaign with a $400 contribution of his own. What happened next shocked everyone.
More than 36,000 people made nearly 50,000 donations, pushing the total to $1.443 million at last count, the New York Post reported.
Samuel later shared an update celebrating the overwhelming response:
“In just under 36 hours, we’ve shattered every expectation, raising over $1,000,000 for Ed Bambas, a remarkable 88-year-old veteran who has been working 5 days a week, 8 hours a day, just to get by.”
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