Butch Marion of Cumberland, Maryland was finally able to retire after receiving a check for $108,682 in online donations from GoFundMe. The fundraiser was organized by Rory McCarty, whose post about Marion, a widower, went viral on TikTok.
McCarty wrote on his GoFundMe page, “As a business owner, I knew how hard it was to find help for my business, which is why this little older man is still working eight- to nine-hour shifts. I was surprised to see
A video shared by Fox 5 Washington DC shows Marion clapping and cheering to celebrate her retirement as she left her last shift with balloons and entered a parking lot full of friends and loved ones. I’m here. Marion then receives a check from McCarty, leaving both men in tears.
“I love you, man,” McCarty said as he handed Marion the check.
McCarty, who owns an extinction business called Bug Boys, has amassed a following on TikTok with a video that shows him kicking a creepy crawl out of his house. His first post featuring Marion, shared on Dec. 16, has garnered more than 3.3 million views.
On his GoFundMe page, McCarty wrote that he was inspired by a video of his TikToker peers raising money for another elderly Walmart employee who was financially unable to retire. While buying batteries at the Cumberland store, he met Marion, who was working as a cashier that day.
“I wanted to help this veteran spend the rest of his years traveling to see his children in Florida,” McCarty wrote on GoFundMe. And do what he wants to do that he may not be able to do for financial reasons.”
Since Marion’s retirement, GoFundMe has raised an additional $12,500 from donors.
According to Fox 5 reporter David Kaplan, McCarty then invited Marion to a farm in Cumberland, where the two rode an ATV and “had a really good time.” McCarty also shared a video of the hangout on TikTok.
“They said they’ve developed a friendship that will last for years to come,” Kaplan said.
As for future plans, Fox 5 said Marion is going to take it easy
“He says he wants to sit by the river and drink beer and enjoy life, and now he can do that,” Kaplan said.