Walt Zerod has paused his viral GoFundMe after donors gave nearly $785,000 in just one week.
Zerod, a Michigan father of four who delivers frozen pizzas for Red Baron, announced the decision Thursday, exactly seven days after the fundraiser began surging. The campaign had pulled in $784,273 from roughly 22,800 individual contributors by then, according to the page’s tally.
The delivery worker also declared he was stepping away from the spotlight to focus on his family through the holidays. He posted his final update to the fundraising page that same day, signaling an end to the whirlwind attention that began with a cruel prank in a grocery store aisle.
“Your kind words have meant the world to my family and I this past week,” Zerod wrote on the GoFundMe page. “I’ve been able to spend lots of extra time at home with my family this week.”
Rather than urging more donations, he redirected supporters toward other causes. He suggested they give to another fundraiser, a local charity, or a church helping families in need over the holiday season.
The campaign was started October 27 by Luke Oakenshield, an Arizona resident who had never met Zerod before. Oakenshield launched it after footage of the prank spread online, showing two Instagram creators approaching Zerod while he stocked frozen pizzas in a grocery store. The pair asked him for the time, then played a sound resembling an Apple Pay transaction and falsely accused him of stealing $10.
Zerod initially stayed calm but grew visibly frustrated as the men kept provoking him. He told them he had four children at home, was struggling to pay his mortgage, and had already worked past his scheduled shift. He also said he needed to rise at 5 a.m. To visit 10 more stores.
The video sparked fierce backlash against the pranksters, whose Instagram account, ThreeOfAKind, was later deleted. Oakenshield said he started the fundraiser partly because he worried Zerod could face workplace consequences for an incident he never provoked.
The two men have since spoken and developed a friendship, Zerod revealed in his updates.
Red Baron’s parent company, Minnesota-based Schwan’s, confirmed last week that Zerod was a direct-store-delivery employee and that the incident occurred in August. A company spokesperson said: “We are pleased to share that he is doing well and remains a valued member of our team.”
Zerod’s final message made clear he hoped the wave of generosity would ripple outward. He asked supporters to look toward other families and causes that could use help during the holiday season.