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- Man walked 14 miles just to get to make it to his first day at work.
- After hearing his story, the CEO of the company gifted him with his old car as a ‘thank you’ for the employee’s dedication.
Walter Carr’s first day at work didn’t go exactly as planned.
He was supposed to start his first assignment with the moving company Bellhops when his car broke down the night before. Instead of asking for a lift, he started walking that same night so he would arrive on time the morning after.
Carr started to hike from Homewood, Alabama to Pelham, Alabama, at midnight. He walked at least 14 miles before the police spotted him and picked him up.
The police took Carr to breakfast after hearing his story and gave him a ride to work after. They dropped him off at the Lamey residence, whom he was scheduled to work for that morning. When they arrived, he was greeted by Jenny Hayden Lamey and her family. He got there even before the rest of the moving team arrived so Jenny suggested for him to rest as they waited for the rest of the crew, he declined.
“I asked Walter if he wanted to go upstairs and rest until everyone else arrived. He declined and said he could go ahead and get started. So he began working alongside Chris and I before the rest of the crew arrived.” Lamey posted on Facebook.
Lamey discovered that Carr and his mother were from New Orleans, but moved to Alabama after losing their home during Hurricane Katrina.“He looked at me in the eye and smiled and I felt like I had known him for a long time,” Lamey added.
When the crew arrived, Lamey insisted that Carr tell the others the story of how he got there. Instead of telling them the whole story, he just said “I walked.” Lamey encouraged him to share a bit more and after he did, the whole crew was amazed.
As Lamey’s post on Facebook went viral, it immediately reached the company’s CEO, Luke Marklin.
This is an incredible story. The grit and heart Walter showed defines Bellhops’ culture precisely. I’m really proud to be on the same team as Walter… we set a high bar on service and he just raised it. Look forward to thanking him in person this week.
According to reports, Marklin did more than meeting Walter. He gave him his old 2014 Ford Escape as a gift!
