A daughter’s love has a special kind of power. 

Ask Kevin Ford. 

For 27 years, he’s worked as a cook and cashier at Burger King at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas. He never missed a day of work. In May, his employer gave him a token of appreciation – a goody bag of small, assorted gifts. Mr. Ford posted a short video on social media, sharing his genuine gratitude.

The video went viral. Some commenters saw a man full of grace. Others saw a tale of corporate exploitation. Amid the attention last week, his daughter Seryna set up a $200 GoFundMe for a plane ticket to Texas: If “anyone feels like blessing him, he would love to visit his grandchildren.”

What happened next is a study in viral generosity. More than 8,000 people from Australia to the United Kingdom have contributed to this “blessing.” So far, more than $250,000 has been donated.  

On Tuesday, the “Today” show joined the blessing bandwagon. It set up a live family reunion, and tears of joy flowed in their New York studio as Mr. Ford was joined by Seryna and his three grandchildren, whom he hasn’t seen in four years.

“For all those years, you feel unappreciated, but you get up just like everybody else. You do your job, and for somebody to show this appreciation is just overwhelming,” he told the “Today” show. 

“It’s just a whirlwind of love,” Mr. Ford said of the outpouring. “Spread the love. We need it. Every day, we need it.”