SPOKANE, Wash. — Long-time Up With KREM viewers likely know that co-anchor Tim Pham is quite the tie enthusiast. From the basic solid colors to floral and stripe patterns, you'd be hard-pressed to think of a tie Tim Pham doesn't own.
Rather than keep his countless ties for his collection, Tim decided to start a pay-it-forward movement to benefit young journalists.
Tim shared a tweet on Tuesday stating that he wanted to give away some of his ties to journalists in need. In a tweet, Tim said he wanted to help young professionals with their wardrobe.
"8 yrs ago I opened up my first paycheck in TV for a whopping $600! I worked 3 jobs just to get by, let alone buy ties for work," the tweet said. "If you need a tie, DM me. All I ask is that you pay it forward one day."
Tim had no idea so many young journalists would be impacted by his kind offer. Not only did his offer go viral on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, but the story has also been picked up by AdWeek’s TVSpy, News Blues and Tim has an interview next week with UK media outlet, Southwest News Service.
"I am blown away by the response. In the past 48 hours, my inbox on all platforms has been flooded and my notifications continue to ping as I write this. People from all over the nation and even around the globe, in all professions, including journalism have reached out asking for ties or offering to help," Tim said. "To be honest I’m still in shock by how many people have responded. This isn’t the first time I’ve offered up my ties. I made the same offer last year and didn’t get anywhere near the same response. I thought this year I would make the same offer but had no idea so many people would take me up on it."
Tim's ties are heading to Washington DC, Montana, New York, South Carolina, New Mexico, Arizona and Georgia to name a few.
"We know getting into journalism is not about the money, it’s a passion we have, but the reality is financial barriers make being in the industry a challenge," Tim said. "I don’t want anyone to have to feel embarrassed about asking for help. If I can eliminate a small barrier, like giving away a tie, it’s worth the cost to me. We need good journalists and need to support each other."