The product shown here is but a fraction of the inventory provided by ‘MrBeast’ to The Salvation Army’s new Family Store in Greenville, NC.

By: Major Frank Duracher

While much of the world was watching the convergence of the planets Jupiter and Saturn in January 2021, a series of events affecting the Greenville Corps universe in North Carolina remarkably came together for the good of everyone involved.

“MrBeast” [sic] is the alter-ego of Jimmy Donaldson, a celebrity You-Tuber, entrepreneur, and philanthropist pioneering a genre of online videos with an impressive list of subscribers now totaling over 52 million.

A typical MrBeast video involves Donaldson creating “attention-grabbing stunts,” often benefiting causes and ministries close to his heart—such as the Wounded Warrior Program, St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, a Los Angeles animal shelter; and, several homeless shelters.

Also among his videos, MrBeast has tried to break glass using 100 megaphones; watching paint dry; staying underwater for 24 hours; and, an unsuccessful attempt to spin a fidget spinner for an entire day.

Donaldson, a Greenville native, came up with the idea to buy entire inventories of five local stores. Eventually, The Salvation Army was chosen as one of the organizations to benefit. Reaching out to Major Kenneth Morris, MrBeast producers laid out the proposal.

“I had never heard of MrBeast,” Major Morris confesses, “but when the call came, fortunately our corps helper, Barcey Godwin, was with me. Barcey is a huge fan of MrBeast and assured me that we needed to work with him.”

The offer of an entire store of new merchandise could not have come at a better time for the Army in Greenville. A new, larger store was being completed but adequate inventory was sadly lacking.

Meanwhile across town, Gordon’s Golf & Ski was in a different dilemma. Closed for months because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, they were desperate to liquidate their inventory until restocking when they could eventually reopen.

With a film crew documenting the event, MrBeast and his staff loaded cart after cart of Gordon’s stock until the shelves were totally bare. The final receipt total: around $80,000.

Even with the additional square-footage of floorspace at The Salvation Army’s new store, the amount of clothing received from MrBeast was much greater. What could not be displayed on racks is held in the adjacent warehouse and brought out on the salesfloor as needed.

From the initial phone contact to the last truck delivery to the new thrift store, the entire process took an amazing two weeks.

“One other unexpected blessing for us is the publicity MrBeast’s generosity generated, especially among the younger generation that seems to be his target audience,” Major Morris says.

“It’s truly amazing how it all came together!”