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CHICAGO — An 89-year-old man set out into the heat last week with his popsicle cart to make a bit of money to help support his ailing wife. Less than a week later, he has hundreds of thousands of dollars for retirement, thanks to some big love from a total stranger.
Times haven’t been easy for Fidencio Sanchez of late. The elderly Chicago resident had to come out of retirement to make ends meet after losing his only daughter, and with his wife too sick to help, he mans his paleta cart alone.
Enter Wisconsin restaurant owner Joel Cervantes Macias. He was driving through his old Chicago neighborhood when he spotted Sanchez with his pushcart, a sight that made him stop in his tracks.
“Maybe, subconsciously, because I’m in the service industry and he is too, it just broke my heart,” Cervantes Macias told Today. “He shouldn’t really be selling anything anymore. He should be enjoying retirement.”
Cervantes Macias handed over $50 for 20 paletas — about what Sanchez usually makes in an entire day — and snapped a photo of Sanchez and his cart. He posted the photo to Facebook, along with the caption: “I respect this man to the fullest.”
The Facebook post tugged at the heartstrings of hundreds of people, many asking what they could do to help. Inspired by a suggestion from a friend, Cervantes Macias set up a GoFundMe* account to raise money for Sanchez and his family.
“Anything helps,” he wrote. “Let’s all pitch in and help make life a little easier and brighten both of their days.”
The goal for the fundraiser was $3,000, but Sanchez’s story seems to have tugged at the heartstrings of more than a few people. The campaign had raised more than $350,000 by Thursday morning. That’s more than 16,000 people from 60 countries donating to the cause in just five days — making this the largest GoFundMe account in Illinois and one of the top 25 fundraisers in the country, according to the Chicago Tribune.
“When I first saw the picture, it brought tears to my eyes,” Olivia Baez, who contributed to the campaign, told the Tribune. “This was someone who had no other resort but to be working at 89 years old. He wasn’t asking anyone for a handout but working to take care of his family.”
Cervantes Macias says he’s been shocked by the response, but nowhere near as surprised as the man who inspired it all.
“When people first approached him to tell him about the money, he said, ‘Oh it’s a bunch of lies’ — he didn’t believe it,” Cervantes Macias told Today. “Even I, when I woke up the next day and saw how much money was raised — I was shocked!”
Sanchez plans to purchase a small home with the money and put the leftover funds in a trust, Today reported.
“GoFundMe is working with everyone involved to ensure the donors’ intentions are honored and Fidencio receives the money raised on his behalf,” Bobby Whithorne, a GoFundMe spokesman, told the Tribune.
For his part, Cervantes Macias said he’s thrilled people were as inspired by Sanchez as he was.
“If it touches me, I should’ve known it touches everybody else who sees him,” he told the Tribune.
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
