An Oklahoma man named Donte Franklin used to walk over 17 miles every day to get to his job at Buffalo Wild Wings.
However, some generous citizens have stepped up to make sure he always has a ride to work and recently gave him a bicycle, KOCO reported Monday.
Franklin spent the past month walking about eight miles to and from his job every day, but thanks to the bike, he will be able to make better time.
Michael Lynn was running errands one day when he saw the young man walking.
“I was going down 12th Street and I saw him. I was thinking, ‘Boy, it’s a hot day,’” he recalled.
Lynn gave Franklin a ride and later shared the story on Facebook.
“He had started from his apartment in front of Moore high school & he was walking to Buffalo wild wings out on I-44 service road in front of the Westside Walmart to go to work!! Roughly a 7 mile walk!! I couldn’t believe it!!” the post read:
It was not long before Kerri Collins, administrator for the charity My Riding Buddies Oklahoma (MRBO) and Bikers for Elves, read the story.
“Anytime I see something posted concerning anybody anywhere in Oklahoma, I immediately jump in and we do whatever we can as a group,” she noted. “It just touched me that this man is only 20 years old and is walking to two different jobs with nothing in the heat. It opened my heart, because kids his age don’t do that.”
Prior to his shift, the group paid Franklin a visit and surprised him with a bike.
“It’s a blessing. I really appreciate it. I’m thankful for it,” Franklin stated.
Lynn said the two have stayed in touch since they met.
“As long as he wants to, I want to keep him in my life and I want to be in his life,” Lynn explained. “This is what I told him, if the Lord opens the door for you, walk through it, walk through, and I think it’s open for him and the rest is up to him.”
As of Saturday afternoon, a GoFundMe page created to help Franklin get a car has raised $50,625 of its $2,000 goal.