Red Baron worker mocked by influencer in viral clip issues heartwarming thank you note as fundraisers soar past $600k

A hardworking Red Baron employee who was mocked by an influencer in a viral video has issued a heartwarming thank you message as the public raises more than $600,000 for him. 

Walt Z was the victim of a cruel prank while he stocked shelves at a grocery store in Michigan. A clip of the moment was posted in August on a now-deleted page, but recently went viral after it was reshared across social media. 

In the video, a streamer approached Walt and asked him for the time, but when he pulled out his phone to check, the man behind the camera took out his phone and played the Apple Pay chime, pretending to take money from Walt. 

The father-of-four initially responded calmly, telling the prankster to leave him alone, but as the moment carried on, Walt told the streamer that it wasn't a joke to him because he works hard to provide for his family and that he just wanted to get home to them. 

The resurfaced moment quickly went viral online and sparked an uproar of supporters who have opened their wallets for Walt. 

One viewer named Luke Oakenshield was so moved by it that he created a GoFundMe page on Tuesday that will see all of the donations go directly to Walt. 

More than 585,000 has been raised for Walt on the platform as of Friday evening. A separate GiveSendGo fundraiser has raised over $14,200 for him. 

Walt has since posted a warm thank you message on GoFundMe to his supporters, stating: 'I wanted to take a moment to personally thank everyone who has donated, shared this fundraiser, or left a kind message. The kindness and encouragement you’ve shown me and my family have meant more than I can put into words.

Walt Z, the Red Barron employee who was part of a cruel online prank, has issued a heartwarming statement after getting support from the public

More than 585,000 has been raised for Walt on GoFundMe as of Friday evening. A separate GiveSendGo fundraiser has raised over $14,200 for him

'My family and I are doing well, and I’m grateful to have supportive people around me. I’ve been keeping things private to protect my family’s privacy, and I appreciate everyone respecting that.

'I’ve also received a lot of interview requests. Being in the spotlight isn’t something I would normally seek out, but I’m considering sharing my story. Before making that decision, I want to make sure it’s with people who will treat me and my family with care and respect our privacy.

'Please know that even if I haven’t responded to your message or comment, your support has made a difference. From me and my family, thank you.' 

After the influencer pretended to take money from Walt, he told the man behind the camera: 'Don't mess with me right now.' 

But the person recording continued prodding and provoking him to get a reaction.

Once Walt began getting upset, the prankster told him to calm down and repeated: 'It's just a joke.'

But Walt didn't see it that way, telling the other man: 'It's not a joke to me... My life is hard enough as it is.' His voice began trembling as he continued: 'I got kids at home that went to bed without me. I was supposed to be at home an hour ago, and I'm still out here working!'

The worker then shouted: 'And I gotta get up at five in the morning and do 10 more stores! So this is not a joke to me!'

FOUR KIDS AT HOME AND THEY'RE FILMING HIM FOR CLOUT??

Harmless content, or picked the wrong guy?

A Red Baron rep is stocking a grocery store freezer when a couple of young people with a camera start messing with him. He snaps, then tells them he has to be up at 5 in the… pic.twitter.com/MBvu1uHFGQ

— AmericanPapaBear™ (@AmericaPapaBear) October 28, 2026

The father-of-four initially responded calmly, telling the prankster to leave him alone, but as the moment carried on, Walt told the streamer that it wasn't a joke to him because he works hard to provide for his family and that he just wanted to get home to them

'And now I'm probably gonna get kicked out of the store because of you,' he then said before the person recording replied: 'Okay, I'm sorry.'

'No, you're not sorry because you've got a smug look on your face,' Walt said. 'You're probably making money off this! I can't even pay my goddamn mortgage, and I got four kids at home!'

People online overwhelmingly responded with sympathy for the hardworking father and called out the prankster, with many calling him a 'wannabe influencer' and a 'punk.' 

Vivek Ramaswamy, who is running for Governor of Ohio, also shared his support for Walt. 

He and his wife, Apoorva, donated a whopping $38,000 to the GoFundMe, and Vivek posted a video on X about him standing with the employee. 

'Hey Walt, I just want to tell you, we got your back. You're brave and you speak for millions of Americans across this country, including in my home state of Ohio. 

'In your honor, we've got Red Barron pizza on our bus tour today. This one's for you Walt, we got your back,' the politician said as he held up frozen pizzas. 

A spokesperson for Red Baron's parent company, CJ Schwan's, told the New York Post: 'We are aware of the video circulating on social media involving one of our Direct Store Delivery employees during an incident that occurred in August.

'Following the incident, we connected directly with our team member to check on his well-being, and we continue to offer our support. We are pleased to share that he is doing well and remains a valued member of our team.'