The Marine Corps veteran who gave a stranded woman his last $20 while he was living on the street has bought a home after a thousands who lauded his good deed raised nearly $400,000.
Kate McClure, 27, started the GoFundMe account last month so that Johnny Bobbitt, who helped her when she ran out of gas on I-95 on her way to Philadelphia, wouldn’t have to spend the holidays without a proper place to live.
On Sunday, Bobbitt wrote on the GoFundMe page that he had bought a home.
“The feeling is indescribable and it all thanks to the support and generosity that each and every one of you has shown,” Bobbitt wrote. “I’ll continue to thank you every single day for the rest of my life.”
Johnny Bobbitt was living on the streets when he helped a motorist who ran out of gas. Now he's purchased a home with some of the nearly $400,000 she helped raise. https://t.co/Rlho9jzDAn
— AP Eastern US (@APEastRegion) December 5, 2017
On that fateful day, McClure got out of the car to walk to the nearest gas station, and Bobbitt instructed her to get back in and lock the doors. Bobbitt then walked away and came back with a red gas can, even filling up the gas tank for her.
McClure and her boyfriend visited Bobbitt several times to donate food, gift cards, cash and blankets, but they wanted to do more, and created the GoFundMe campaign with a humble $10,000 goal on Nov. 10.
As of Wednesday morning, the crowdfund raised $399,325. In addition to the home, Bobbitt plays to buy his dream truck, a 1999 Ford Ranger. Two trusts will be set up in his name, one that will provide him with a small “salary” each year and a retirement account which will be invested by a financial planner.
A homeless vet says he's been given a second chance in life after he received over $360,000 for helping a stranded woman buy gas. "It's like winning the lottery." https://t.co/32JcKqG6H8 pic.twitter.com/ou88AkB1Gy
— ABC News (@ABC) November 26, 2017
Bobbitt will also donate to people and organizations that have helped him in the past year and shared a GoFundMe page benefitting a fellow homeless veteran that he plans to contribute to.
(H/T: The Associated Press)