'Oh, my Goodness': 88-year-old Michigan grocery cashier gets unexpected $1.7 million

Ed Bambas is approaching the end of his decades-long career behind the register. The 88-year-old grocery store employee from Michigan was presented with a staggering $1.7 million check on Friday, thanks to a heartfelt fundraising effort organized by a young Australian social media influencer.

Overcome with emotion, Bambas wiped away tears as he said, No, no. Thank you. Oh, my God.

Sam Weidenhofer, 22, has made it his mission to share kindness and financial support through his social media presence. During a recent visit to the United States, he met Bambas at a Meijer store in Brighton, southeastern Michigan. The encounter was captured on TikTok for Weidenhofers 7.7 million followers, where Bambas spoke about continuing to work despite nearing 90, following the passing of his wife Joan in 2018 due to a chronic illness.

I dont have enough income, Bambas shared in the video. Moved by his story, Weidenhofer created a GoFundMe campaign encouraging people to help. His story is a stark reminder that many seniors, particularly veterans, face enormous challenges just to get by, said Weidenhofer, who hails from Melbourne, Australia, and has over 10 million followers across various platforms.

The campaign quickly gained traction, attracting donations from more than 15,000 contributors, ranging from $10 to $10,000. Bambas humorously told reporters, Its a huge responsibility. I have to find everyone and say thank you.

Bambas began working at Meijer at the age of 82. He explained that interacting with customers helped him cope with the loss of his wife, sharing pieces of his life story with those who came through his line.

Lexi Wallace, a former regular customer, encouraged Weidenhofer to locate Bambas after she moved away. I thought his name was Bob. He never corrected me, she said. I loved visiting Meijer just to see him.

Thanks to the generous donations, Bambas will be able to pay off $225,000 in debt. The remainder of the funds is entirely at his discretion. He hopes to travel to visit his brother and return to playing golf. However, he has no immediate plans to retire from his cashier position. Ill probably work another month or two and then wrap things up, he said.

Author: Jackson Miller