Chicago popsicle cart pusher gets over $150,000 in donations for his retirement - TomoNews
- 8 years ago
CHICAGO — The Internet has done some good this week. Via a GoFundMe page, folks have been donating money to help a popsicle vendor in Chicago retire. As of Monday, more than $150,000 was raised.
The page was created by Joel Cervantes Macias, who saw the man, Fidencio Sanchez, 89, pushing a paleta (popsicle) cart in the Little Village area.
“It broke my heart seeing this man that should be enjoying retirement still working at this age,” wrote Macias on the GoFundMe page. “His elderly wife was selling paletas also to help pay bills, but she fell ill and can't work anymore.”
Macias also learned that the couple had lost their only daughter in July. That’s when Sanchez returned to work after only being retired for a few months.
Macias stopped and snapped a photo. He then bought 20 paletas for $50. Afterward, Macias posted the photo on his Facebook page and received an overwhelming response. That’s when he and a friend decided to set up the donation campaign.
The story and GoFundMe page went viral.
Macías, who owns a Mexican restaurant in Stoughton, Wisconsin, wrote that he plans to stream the moment he presents the Sanchezes with the money on Facebook Live.
But Sanchez is already aware of the money, telling Univision Chicago that he is going to share the money with churches in Chicago and in Mexico, as well as his grandchildren.
The page was created by Joel Cervantes Macias, who saw the man, Fidencio Sanchez, 89, pushing a paleta (popsicle) cart in the Little Village area.
“It broke my heart seeing this man that should be enjoying retirement still working at this age,” wrote Macias on the GoFundMe page. “His elderly wife was selling paletas also to help pay bills, but she fell ill and can't work anymore.”
Macias also learned that the couple had lost their only daughter in July. That’s when Sanchez returned to work after only being retired for a few months.
Macias stopped and snapped a photo. He then bought 20 paletas for $50. Afterward, Macias posted the photo on his Facebook page and received an overwhelming response. That’s when he and a friend decided to set up the donation campaign.
The story and GoFundMe page went viral.
Macías, who owns a Mexican restaurant in Stoughton, Wisconsin, wrote that he plans to stream the moment he presents the Sanchezes with the money on Facebook Live.
But Sanchez is already aware of the money, telling Univision Chicago that he is going to share the money with churches in Chicago and in Mexico, as well as his grandchildren.