When “Ramblin’ Ray” Stevens pulled over to ask a young man if he needed a ride, he had no idea he was about to make such a big difference in the stranger’s life.
The radio DJ was on his way to work when he saw 20-year-old Braxton Mayes walking down the road. He didn’t think much of it at first and went about his day. But when he passed the young man a second time, he stopped to see if there was anything he could do.
Braxton was hesitant at first, but he got in the car and let Ray drive him the 10 remaining miles he would have walked to work. They started talking, and Ray discovered just how much walking Braxton had been doing.
Recently, Braxton’s 2006 GMC truck broke down. Still needing to get to work, he began walking there. That meant walking for a total of 24 miles and six hours a day. He had to leave his home at 4 a.m. in order to arrive on time at 7 a.m.
Despite his situation, Braxton remained positive. Thanks to his incredible work ethic, he didn’t mind the walk too much. He said, “It’s just one of those things where you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.”
Despite Braxton’s good attitude, Ray couldn’t sit back and do nothing. He quickly created a GoFundMe to raise money to repair Braxton’s truck ASAP. Any leftover funds would be donated to Chicago area food banks.
Within only a couple of days, over $4,000 was donated — enough to get Braxton’s truck repaired!