Walter Carr had recently moved to Homewood, Alabama, with his mother after tragedy struck—they were victims of the devastating Hurricane Katrina and hoped to rebuild their lives from scratch.
Though just 20 years old and a student, Walter was determined to work and support his mother. One day, he heard about a job opening at Bellhops, a moving company about 20 miles away. It was far, but Walter had an old car, so he drove over, applied, and got an interview on the spot. He was hired and asked to start the next day.
But fate had other plans.
Just a few feet from his driveway, his old car spluttered and died. Smoke poured from the engine, and Walter knew there was no fixing it in time. He pulled out his phone to call and cancel—but then stopped. He couldn’t give up. His mother was struggling to make house payments, and they risked becoming homeless again. He had to try.
So Walter set his alarm for 12:00 a.m., got a few hours of sleep, laced up his sneakers, threw on a jacket, and began the 20-mile walk to work—on foot, through the dark Alabama night.
He started briskly, but by the halfway mark, exhaustion set in. His legs burned, sweat dripped down his face, and his feet throbbed. Still, he pushed forward, driven by sheer willpower and the fear of losing his job on the first day.
Then, around 4:20 a.m., a police car pulled up alongside him. The cop had been quietly following for ten minutes, watching this determined young man trudge forward.
“Where you rushing off to, buddy?” the officer asked.
Walter, gasping for breath, kept walking while explaining his story: his car had broken down, and he had no other way to get to work. Officer Sean Gray, initially suspicious, was stunned by Walter’s determination.
He told Walter to get in the car.
They drove the remaining six miles in silence. When they arrived, Officer Gray was so moved that he walked Walter to the door and told the homeowner, Jenny Hayden Lamey, what had happened.
Jenny was flabbergasted. Walter had walked 14 miles just to help her move. Despite his exhaustion, he got straight to work when the rest of the Bellhops crew arrived.
Jenny later shared the story on Facebook:
“Yesterday was a long day but a good day… A police officer came to our door and introduced us to Walter. He told us Walter had walked all night from Homewood to Pelham—over 20 miles—because he didn’t want to miss his first day of work.”
The post exploded overnight.
People were touched by Walter’s dedication. Jenny even started a GoFundMe to help him repair his car. The goal was $2,000. But the response was overwhelming—donations poured in and quickly exceeded $32,000.
Soon, the CEO of Bellhops, Luke Marklin, heard the story. He was so inspired that he drove down from Tennessee himself and handed Walter the keys to his own family car. Walter, overcome with emotion, broke down in tears. He had never experienced such kindness before.
The entire community rallied behind Walter. Jenny’s Facebook post received thousands of shares and comments. One user wrote:
“I’m really touched by his journey. We often find excuses, but people like Walter just do.”
Another commented:
“Life is full of challenges. Walter passed the test—gracious and humble.”
How many times, people wondered, did Walter want to turn back that night? How many times did he think about giving up? But he didn’t.
Walter’s story sparked the viral hashtag #BeLikeWalter, a tribute to his dedication and grit.
But Walter himself remains humble.
“I just walked,” he said simply.
He hopes to become a Marine someday. And if this journey is any proof, Walter Carr can achieve anything he puts his mind to
