$185K Raised for Man Who Walks 21 Miles to Work

Detroit Free Press story on James Robertson proves life-changing
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 3, 2015 12:29 PM CST
$185K Raised for Man Who Walks 21 Miles to Work
In this Jan. 29, 2015, photo, James Robertson, 56, of Detroit, walks toward Woodward Avenue.   (AP Photo/Detroit Free Press, Ryan Garza)

The Detroit Free Press ran a front-page story this weekend about a man who walks 21 miles a day to and from work—and it's proving both the power of the press and the warmth of the human heart. The story caught the attention of a student at Wayne State University, and now, James Robertson can buy a lot more than just a car, the Free Press reports. Evan Leedy, 19, started a GoFundMe crowdfunding campaign for Robertson which has now raised more than $185,000 (and counting). The two men met at a bar last night, where they were interviewed. "I'm always going to be in your debt; I will never forget this," Robertson said. But he also noted: "I gotta say, this is Detroit, this is how people are in Detroit. They say Los Angeles is the city of angels. That's wrong. Detroit is the real city of angels." (More Detroit stories.)

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