Luke Marklin gives Walter Carr his Ford Escape
: AL.com
If your car broke down the day before you were to start a new job and all your backup rides fell through, the majority of people would probably panic, cry, blame bad luck, and curse the world before calling off or maybe even quitting. However, Walter Carr is not in the majority.
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Carr’s first day on the job with moving company Bellhops meant a gig in Pelham, Alabama, which was 20 miles away from where he was in Homewood, Alabama. Though he didn’t have a car, he had the right attitude and determination as he embarked toward Pelham at midnight so he could arrive in time for the move.
Once Carr arrived in Pelham at 4 a.m., Mark Knighten, a Pelham police officer, saw him, picked him up, and took him to breakfast before giving him a ride to the Lamey family’s house for work. There, Jenny Hayden Lamey and her family learned about Carr’s impressive and heartwarming journey, which Lamey shared with the world on Facebook.
The post quickly went viral, and it caught the attention of Luke Marklin, the CEO of Bellhops. He made a special trip from Chattanooga to Birmingham to extend his personal thanks and appreciation to Carr — as well as a new car. Marklin handed Carr the keys to his 2014 Ford Escape to guarantee that his first trek on foot would be the last.
“I’d like to give you this car right here. Today. Like right now. Like you can drive away with it,” Marklin said to a stunned Carr. “I really think that it’s in much better hands with you than it is with me, and I couldn’t think of a better way to part ways with this and put it to better use.”
This is an incredible story. The grit and heart Walter showed defines Bellhops' culture precisely. I'm really proud to be on the same team as Walter… we set a high bar on service and he just raised it. Look forward to thanking him in person this week. https://t.co/Fr4ytu5CM1
— Luke Marklin (@LukeMarklin) July 15, 2018
Though Lamey was quick to share his story, Carr was not interested in boasting about his journey. As she said in her post, when Lamey asked Carr to tell the rest of the moving crew his story, “Walter said ‘I walked’. That was it. Humble. I asked him to share a little more and when he did, the crew was in awe of him too! I don’t know that Walter would have shared if I hadn’t asked him to.”
Now, a GoFundMe page for Walter Carr has been set up. As a college student and a Marine, Carr’s integrity, strength, persistence, and work ethic is a spark of inspiration for thousands, along with everyone else involved in this “moving” story who displayed love and kindness. With Carr putting the customer first and Marklin valuing his employee, this is just an all-around warm and fuzzy story that shows it never hurts to go the extra mile. #TheWorldNeedsMoreWalters
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