People from across the country waiting to have a burger with 'Sad Paw Paw.'
The lonely, burger-eating grandpa whose sad-faced picture went viral last week isn’t so lonely any more.
On Saturday, hundreds of hungry fans flocked to Purcell, Okla. to eat a meal with the Internet’s new favorite grandfather, Kenneth Harmon, best known as “Sad Papaw.”
Harmon, became an overnight celebrity after his granddaughter Kelsey Harmon posted a picture of her beloved “Papaw” eating a burger all by himself—after he had cooked a meal for his family but only one of six grandkids showed up.
Last week, Harmon’s grandson announced the family would be throwing a cookout open to all Papaw fans, complete with homecooked burgers and an opportunity to meet the man himself.
The announcement drew guests from around the globe.
“It’s been kinda crazy. We’re just overwhelmed with all the turnout and all the publicity,” family member Rodney Harmon told Oklahoma’s KFOR. “There are folks here from Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, California, Germany."
Guests could buy a burger for $2 and a T-shirt reading “I ate a burger with Sad Papaw” for $16.
Fans of Papaw were touched by the relatable of story of outside commitments getting in the way of family time.
“It was sad, you know? Here he makes this dinner for his grandchildren, but I understand it, we all have busy lives,” cookout guest Sharon Fernandez told News 9. Fernandez drove 20 hours from southern California with her daughters to eat with Harmon.
"We just love PawPaw," gushed another guest.
Papaw was overwhelmed with the attention saying, “It’s more like a movie than real life.”
News 9 reports that most of the grandkids were in attendance but Kelsey, the one who started it all, had a college softball game on Saturday.
The money raised during the event will cover the cookout expenses with any remainder going straight to Papaw himself.
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