004: James Robertson Walks 21 Miles Each Way to His Job

David: And finally tonight here, our Person of of the Week. You know we love visiting American factories and celebrating workers across this country, but tonight one worker who is beyond committed. Not just walking to work, walking ten miles each way because he couldn't afford a new car. Tonight here, the big surprise for him just today. We were there for it and for our Person of the Week.

James: Hello. My names is James Robertson. I'm 56 years old, I live in Detroit.

David: Like so many Americans, James Robertson gets up every morning to go to work. His commute on foot, 21 miles. That's right, more than ten miles each way.

James: I walk 21 miles every day just to get to the job that I love.

David: A factory worker at Schain Mold and Engineering, he's never missed a day of work in his 13 years there.

James: It's fine. My coworkers, we're like a second family.

David: A family worth walking to ever since his car broke down more than a decade ago.

James: I had bought a 1988 Honda for $500 and it only lasted about three or four months.

David: He said he could never afford a new car. Over time, driving to work himself, a Detroit banker, Blake Pollack, notices something.

Blake: The thing that I saw was this man walking down the road at all different points on this road in all types of weather.

David: So one day, he offers James a ride and a friendship soon forms.

Blake: This commute is just astonishing to me.

David: The banker tells the newspaper, The Detroit Free Press, then the article, then a 19 year old college student reads it. Enter Evan Leedy.

Evan: I read in the comments that people were asking how they could donate, which inspired me to create the GoFundMe page.

David: The goal? To raise $5,000 to get James an old used car.

Evan: Within four hours, we had $25,000 donated and $25,000 turned into $50,000 and turned into $100,000 and now it's up to $300,000.

David: First the banker, then the student, then the Detroit giant, Ford who invited James today to test drive some cars aware of all those donations, but when James got there, they simply gave him the car instead.

Ford Person: The keys to your new Ford Taurus. Let's come take a look at it.

David: He was overwhelmed that they gave him the car.

Ford Person: Do you like it?

James: I don't like it. I love it!

David: And then it hits him.

James: You know if only my parents could see me now.

David: Saying if only his parents could see him, but tonight the whole country has.

James: I feel like I'm just a simple, average guy having fun and I've been blessed, y'know to do what I've been blessed to do.

David: And so we choose James Robertson. A team is helping him to plan his retirement and home repairs with those donations. He's back to work on Monday, driving this time. I'm David Muir. I hope you have a great weekend. We'll see you on Monday night. Good night.