Las Vegas Burger King worker Kevin Ford never missed work in 27 years

Kevin Ford refuses to call himself a hard worker.

The 55-year-old Las Vegan gets ready for his shift at Burger King inside Harry Reid International Airport about five days a week, no matter what. His back could be aching; he could be having a rough day. But he’s never called out of work — in 27 years.

That dedication created international attention in June, after a video of him thanking his managers for a gift bag, honoring his years of service, went viral.

“I never said I was a hard worker,” Ford said. “People might say that about me and I guess the reason they say that is not only the fact that I show up on a daily basis, but that it’s really hard to keep workers right now. But I try to back everybody up. I lead, I try to do whatever I can to make the day go by faster and fun.”

For Ford, hard work is just — work.

Working for family

Ford joined retail and food concession operator HMSHost in May 1995, initially working at Cinnabon inside Harry Reid then later at a snack bar. He said he joined HMSHost because it’s unionized.

“I believe unions and workers who join together are the backbone of every company,” he said. “That’s why I joined (HMSHost) and not only that, but because of the health benefits. At the time, I had younger girls and they needed healthcare. They needed braces and flu medicine and it was just very important. I consider that part of the allowance.”

Ford’s daughter, Seryna, recalls waiting for her dad to come home from work late at night.

He’d take two weeks off every year — in late August, around his birthday, and late December for the holidays and to celebrate his children’s birthday.

“We were those kids that were up super late, and we’re always tired because we kept weird hours,” Seryna Ford said. “My stepmom always tried to cook dinner and have a fresh meal for him every night so our dinners would be at like 10:30, so everything would be fresh.”

A strong work ethic stemmed from her grandfather, according to Seryna Ford. He moved the family to Las Vegas when he was stationed at Nellis Air Force Base. She said growing up her grandfather and her father’s work ethic was instilled in her and her sister.

Kevin Ford said he wanted to continue to support his family as well as keep busy, even when he suffered from back pain that later required surgery.

“I needed to pay bills so bad that I would be laying in front of the fryer on the ground, in pain, while I’m at work,” he said. “I just worked through it, you know?”

What also kept him going was the feeling of camaraderie at Burger King, where some coworkers have worked for double-digit years, he said.

HMSHost said in a statement: “Mr. Ford captures the essence of our culture of appreciation, caring and inclusion and reflects the best of our company — our people. Mr. Ford is a valued associate and member of an honored group of employees that have worked for us for many years.”

A story that resonates

In Ford’s viral video, he can be seen thanking managers for a gift bag celebrating his work anniversary and attendance record. He shows off the goodies that included movie tickets, a reusable tumbler and candy, among other items. The clip was spread on social media platforms such as Reddit, Twitter and TikTok but commentators expressed criticism at the gifts — though Ford never did.

@thekeep777 He's Worked for the Company for Almost 3 Decades and Has Never Called Out!!!😵‍💫🥺😱😭 #Grateful #Dads #FathersDay #Loyalty #Honor #WorkersUnite #Rewards #Thankful #NorrinRadd777 #theKeep777 ♬ Slide - Calvin Harris

Some individuals privately donated funds to Ford, and Seryna Ford ultimately created a GoFundMe in June, which has raised $385,083 as of Thursday.

Seryna Ford said the family received encouraging messages from people in Europe, Asia and across the country.

“It just brought so many people together because not only did they see my dad, but they saw their parents or their own selves,” Seryna Ford said. “Maybe they wanted to show that these things do deserve reward just as much as our entertainers or athletes or anything else, if not more.”

‘We kick butt’

The support from GoFundMe hasn’t sent Ford into an early retirement. He wants to keep working until he’s been with the company for 30 or 35 years, possibly more.

Instead, he gave some of the funds to his two daughters and set up savings accounts for his grandchildren.

He’s considering buying a car to make it easier on days he works as a delivery driver for DoorDash and UberEats, which he says is a side gig.

Ford said he may be “a robot” who doesn’t like idle time, but he thinks the right mindset can get someone through any amount of work.

“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a hard day’s work,” he said. “Whether you’re digging a ditch or pushing a pencil, whatever it is you’re doing — take pride in it and do it to the best of your ability. Show up as much as possible.”

As for his own motivation, Ford said he’s often inspired by Las Vegans who do the silent, or invisible, work to keep a tourism-reliant economy moving.

“This city can grind. These people work,” he said. “Somebody’s making those beds, the food for those buffets, running the shows and doing the flips. These are really people who live out here and we bust our butts, no doubt about it. Every single job is important and we kick butt out here in this city.”

McKenna Ross is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists into local newsrooms. Contact her at mross@reviewjournal.com. Follow @mckenna_ross_ on Twitter.