Red Baron Worker Pauses Fundraiser After Nearly $800,000 Raised

Walt Z said he would stop accepting donations to a fundraiser for his family after a week of public support. The campaign had collected $787,477 by Thursday, November 5, before it was paused. Walt also said he would not give interviews, citing his family’s safety and privacy, and plans to spend time with them over the holidays.

He thanked donors and Luke Oakenshield, the military veteran who set up the GoFundMe despite not knowing Walt before the incident. Walt said the two had stayed in touch and were developing a friendship. He urged people who still wanted to donate to support a different fundraising effort, a nearby nonprofit, or a congregation that assists households.

The fundraising followed the spread of a video filmed at a grocery store, where Walt was stocking shelves in his Red Baron uniform. A prankster asked him for the time, then played a mobile-payment sound while pretending to take his money. Walt became upset and described working late, having to visit more stores the next morning and struggling to pay his mortgage while supporting his four children.

The video had originally been posted to Instagram and was later shared widely across social media. A spokesperson for Red Baron’s parent company, CJ Schwan’s, said the company had checked on Walt after the August incident and continued to support him, adding that he remained a valued employee. Among the donors was Vivek Ramaswamy and his wife, who contributed $38,000.