The Red Baron worker who was cruelly humiliated by an influencer online has paused the GoFundMe campaign that raised nearly $800,000 for him.
Walt Z said he and his family were deeply grateful for the public’s support, but now feel it is time to step back, move forward and regain some privacy.
‘Your kind words have meant the world to my family and me this past week. I still can’t believe how many people have rallied behind us, and I will never be able to thank you enough. I’ve been able to spend a lot of extra time at home with my family this week,’ Walt, a father of four, said on Thursday.
‘After giving it a great deal of thought, I’ve decided not to take part in any interviews. My family’s safety and privacy must come first, and I believe this is the right decision for us. I’m grateful to everyone who has reached out, and I hope you understand.’
‘I’ve also decided to pause donations to my fundraiser today, Thursday, November 5, marking one week of your extraordinary generosity and support for my family and me,’ he added.
Walt told supporters that anyone who still wanted to donate should instead consider helping other people in need.
‘Thank you for your kindness, generosity and for making my family feel so supported. We will never forget it,’ he wrote.
The decision to pause the fundraiser came after a video showing Walt stocking shelves at a grocery store in Michigan went viral online.
Walt Z, the Red Baron worker who went viral in a prankster video, has paused the GoFundMe campaign that raised nearly $800,000 for him
Walt made the announcement on Thursday as he thanked his supporters and the man who created the page
The clip, which was posted in August but recently reposted on social media, showed a streamer approaching Walt and asking him for the time.
But when Walt pulled out his phone to check, the prankster took out his phone as well and played the Apple Pay chime, pretending to take the worker’s hard-earned money.
He initially responded calmly, telling the prankster to leave him alone, but as the moment carried on, Walt told the streamer that it wasn’t a joke to him because he works hard to provide for his family and that he just wanted to get home to see them.
After the influencer pretended to take money from Walt, he told the man behind the camera: ‘Don’t mess with me right now.’
But the person recording continued prodding and provoking him to get a reaction.
Once Walt began getting upset, the prankster told him to calm down and repeated: ‘It’s just a joke.’
But Walt didn’t see it that way, telling the other man: ‘It’s not a joke to me… My life is hard enough as it is.’ His voice began trembling as he continued: ‘I got kids at home that went to bed without me. I was supposed to be at home an hour ago, and I’m still out here working!’
The worker then shouted: ‘And I gotta get up at five in the morning and do 10 more stores! So this is not a joke to me!’
The clip, which was posted in August but recently reposted on social media, showed a streamer approaching Walt and asking him for the time before pretending to take money from him while on the job
‘And now I’m probably gonna get kicked out of the store because of you,’ he then said before the person recording replied: ‘Okay, I’m sorry.’
‘No, you’re not sorry because you’ve got a smug look on your face,’ Walt said. ‘You’re probably making money off this! I can’t even pay my goddamn mortgage, and I got four kids at home!’
The moment sparked a huge uproar online and saw an army of supporters gather around Walt and call the man behind the prank a ‘wannabe influencer’ and a ‘punk.’
One viewer named Luke Oakenshield was so moved by it that he created the fundraiser so that all donations go directly to Walt.
And in announcing the pause to the page, Walt said that he and Luke have since become friends and he is grateful for him.
Thousands of people donated to support him, including Vivek Ramaswamy, who lost the governor’s race in Ohio on Tuesday.
He and his wife, Apoorva, donated a whopping $38,000 to the GoFundMe, and Vivek posted a video on X about him standing with Walt.
‘Hey Walt, I just want to tell you, we got your back. You’re brave and you speak for millions of Americans across this country, including in my home state of Ohio.
After announcing the pause to the GoFundMe page, Walt’s support only grew
‘In your honor, we’ve got Red Barron pizza on our bus tour today. This one’s for you Walt, we got your back,’ the politician said as he held up frozen pizzas.
A spokesperson for Red Baron’s parent company, CJ Schwan’s, told the New York Post: ‘We are aware of the video circulating on social media involving one of our Direct Store Delivery employees during an incident that occurred in August.
‘Following the incident, we connected directly with our team member to check on his well-being, and we continue to offer our support. We are pleased to share that he is doing well and remains a valued member of our team.’
After announcing the pause to the GoFundMe page, Walt’s support only grew.
‘Well this final GoFundMe update from The Red Baron Worker has assured me that we could not have supported a better man,’ an online user posted.
‘That’s very refreshing. Not looking to capitalize on his fame but to focus on his family. I love it,’ said another.