James Robertson’s ‘GoFundMe’ Money May Not Be Used For Car At All — Amazing Turn Of Events, No More ‘Shoes Made For Walking’


There’s been a lot of stir about the Detroit man, 56-year-old James Robertson, who has been walking 21 miles to and from work. Well, in an amazing turn, the money may not be used on the car after all.

Walking 21 miles, for anyone, is a pain. Many people don’t even like to exercise, let alone do it on a consistent basis. Yet, try walking that same distance in the torrential, cold weather that Detroit, Michigan, is known to exhibit. Well, as known, James Robertson walks daily since his car broke down years ago.

However, those days will be over incredibly soon. James Robertson is getting a new car. Interestingly enough, the amount of money raised so far is enough to get him a nice Lamborghini. Surely, Robertson would love to ride in style like that, right?

Lamborghini Murcielago
Credit: DuPont Registry

Well, no. For one, he’s a very humble man — an introvert, according to his girlfriend. So, he wants to avoid things that would bring a lot of attention to himself. This is also obvious in his non-complaining 21-mile-walk to Schain Mold & Engineering. And two, this would make no kind of sense whatsoever and would be a complete waste of the good the rest of the money could do for his lifestyle.

Honestly, if this isn’t American work ethic, what is? And this is similarly what the contributors think. Astonished by Robertson’s work ethic and “perfect attendance,” they’ve deemed that he’s “earned this money,” as stated in Detroit Free Press. Here’s one example of what can be seen trending on Twitter under hashtag #JamesRobertson.

Yet as an address, in an interview with People Magazine, James Robertson states as follows.

“I don’t think what I do is big deal. I do what I have to do to get to work in the morning. It’s just a part of my life.”

“My parents taught me hard work ethic growing up in Detroit. It’s all about keeping your schedule on track and focusing your mind on what matters.”

Could he have complained about the situation? Of course. That’s definitely “complaint-worthy.” However, the admirable, honorable, and respectable thing is that James Robertson never said a word about or asked for help with it.

Nevertheless, Robertson finally meets the guy behind the fundraiser and was elated. Since Evan Leedy started James Robertson’s fundraiser at GoFundMe, he has raised approximately $206,000 for the 21-mile walker. At the meet, according to Detroit Free Press, Robertson tells Leedy as follows.

“I’m always going to be in your debt — I will never forget this.”

After reading the many comments from his contributors, James Robertson makes an encouragingly profound statement for his hometown.

“I gotta say, this is Detroit, this is how people are in Detroit. They say Los Angeles is the city of angels. That’s wrong. Detroit is the real city of angels.”

It’s something how things work out. Given all the publicity James Robertson has received, you’ll never guess what car dealerships are saying on the matter. According to the same People Magazine source, Leedy states as follows.

“We now have car dealerships and car companies saying they will donate a car. We can now use this money to truly change James’ life.”

“We can get him a nice place to live, a place he deserves.”

So, in actuality, zero percent of these funds have to be used for his vehicle. That’s truly amazing.

According to Detroit Free Press, once the topic came up about the type of car he would consider, James Robertson collectively responded as follows.

“I’m a Ford fan. I remember the Taurus. They look comfortable, nothing fancy. They’re simple on the outside, strong on the inside — like me.”

“I mostly stay with Americans [sic] cars — Lincoln, Fords, GM, Dodge.”

He did mention that the Ford Mustang is a little tight for him, though, given his 6-foot height.

What do you think about James Robertson’s work ethic? Have you ever been in similar situations? What are some things you’ve had to do that were just “part of life”? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.

[Feature Image via Twitter, Video via Detroit Free Press]

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