Over $180,000 Raised For 56 Year-Old Detroit Man Who Walks 21 Miles A Day To And From Work

February 3, 2015

A 56 year-old Detroit man walks 21 miles a day to get to work and back.

This has been James Robertson's life for the past 10 years after his 1988 Honda Accord quit on him.

man walks 21 miles to work
Ryan Garza/Detroit Free Press

James works at a factory 23 miles from his home. He takes the bus partway there and home. He walks the rest - a total of 21 miles. And this daily journey has not once ruined his perfect attendance.

It's a tribute to how much he cares about his job. And you won't ever hear him complain.

His path requires him to walk through a few dangerous neighborhoods. Although he says he hasn't experienced too much trouble, he was mugged several years ago.

This is his routine:

man walks 21 miles
Detroit Free Press

So why hasn't James bought a new car to avoid the dangerous streets, and the cold winter winds?

"I haven't had a chance to save for it," he says. His job pays $10.55 an hour - not enough for him to buy, maintain and insure a car in Detroit. But after the story went viral, Evan Leedy - who has never met him - started an online fundraiser to help James get a car. His goal was to raise $5,000.

In just two short days, this happened:

man walks 21 miles to work
Go Fund Me