After getting robbed five times, winning a free hamburger seems like a small triumph, except when thousands of people from around the world helped you win free burgers for life as a show of support.  Travis Swope, a 32 year old father of five, had taken to sleeping in his small skate shop in California that he owns with his brother in an attempt to end a string of robberies that had the two brothers on the verge of closing their dream business.

“The skate shop was about sharing our passion for skating.  The sport helped us when my brother and I where growing up in a tough neighborhood. I thought by sponsoring a skateboard league, hosting local events, demonstrations and raising money for various causes that I could create a safe hang out for kids, safer than how I grew up.  I could get them involved in something that gets them active.” is how Travis described his vision for the skate shop.  Others viewed his skate shop as an opportunity to make quick money breaking in and robbing the store five times in thirteen days.  Travis and his brother considered closing the shop.  “I was looking for a positive sign to carry on when I saw the Wendy’s Hamburger contest that offered free burgers for life.  I thought maybe if I could win one of the daily $10 gift cards I could afford to take my kids out to dinner, after being robbed it would be the start of something good.” shared Travis.

The contest sponsored by Wendy’s had individuals create online profiles where people stated why they should win burgers for life.  Visitors to the site could vote for who they thought should win the burgers with person receiving the most votes by the deadline winning burgers for life. The contest became a way for friends to show their appreciation of Travis and his skate shop. “Brain” Josh Pantoja, 17, the captain of the skate team sponsored by Travis started an effort to get everyone to vote for Travis. “It was cool. People voted every day, passed out fliers and I put him on MySpace."  The story of Travis, the skate shop robberies, and the effort by friends to show their appreciation spread across the internet. Soon people from around the world started voting for Travis. “It was amazing,” commented Travis,” I got votes from people in exotic locations like Australia and Singapore, and they would email and call me encouraging me to hang on to the business.” Wee-Man, from the MTV show JackAss, visited the skate shop bringing lunch from Wendy’s to Travis to show his support.  Paper Street Marketing in Memphis, TN which produced large music festivals donated staff to share Travis’ story by contacting magazines, radio stations, and newspapers on his behalf to encourage votes.

Winning burgers for life has motivated Travis to focus on his goal and keep the store open as a positive environment for kids.  “I plan on buying a lot of people lunch,” said Travis,” plus I am going to order a lot of burgers and the teenagers that hang at my shop are going go out onto the streets and feed the homeless.  I hope it will teach the people that when something bad happens you are grateful for the help you receive, and when something good happens you share your good fortune.”