Community Corner

After Employee Walks 20 Miles To Work, Boss Buys Him Car

A college student who walked 20 miles for his first day of work in Pelham was rewarded by his boss with his own car.

PELHAM, AL - While both Homewood and Pelham are considered to be part of metro Birmingham, the two cities are actually more than 20 miles apart. And that is how far Walter Carr walked to get to work from his home in Homewood to his job in Pelham. That dedication to his job did not go unnoticed by his employer.

Carr's vehicle broke down, and since he had just started his job with Bellhops, a moving company, he needed to get to work, so he said he left his home around midnight and started his trek up Highway 280.

A Pelham police officer picked up Carr in the early hours of the morning and drove him the rest of the way to his job after buying breakfast for him.

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After the officer told Carr's customer about Carr's journey to work, the client, Jenny Lamey, was so impressed that she contacted Bellhops CEO Luke Marklin. She shared the story on Facebook and set up a GoFundMe to raise money for Walter to fix his car. That campaign has already raised more than $50,000.

Marklin was also touched by his employee's dedication, and traveled from his home in Chattanooga to Homewood, to meet Carr for lunch. When he arrived Marklin gave him the keys to the SUV he drove to Alabama, a 2015 Ford Escape.

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See a video of Carr receiving his vehicle here:

Carr will finish his associated degree at Lawson State at the end of the year, and plans to join the United States Marine Corps.

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Photo courtesy of Pelham PD

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