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Good Samaritan Raises Thousands for 89-Yr-Old 'Paletas' Vendor

Fidencio Sanchez, 89, who recently lost his daughter, has been selling from his wife's paletas cart in Chicago to make ends meet.
Joel Cervantes Macias Findencio Sanchez and Sanchezh's daughter
Joel Cervantes Macias Findencio Sanchez and Sanchez's grand-daughterNBC Chicago
/ Source: NBC Chicago

With just a single photo posted to Facebook and a GoFundMe.com page, a Good Samaritan was able to raise $100,000 in one day for Fidencio Sanchez, who is 89 years old and still working very hard every day.

UPDATE: The GoFundMe donations have passed $270,000.

Joel Cervantes Macías was driving through the Little Village neighborhood in Chicago and saw Sanchez struggling to push his paletas (popsicles)cart. Macías posted a photo and GoFundMe page to his Facebook, and so far the crowdfunding effort has raised almost 50 times their initial goal of $3,000 for Sanchez's family.

Sanchez and his wife are grieving the recent loss of their only daughter.

In less than one day, the page raised over $100,000.

“It broke my heart seeing this man that should be enjoying retirement still working at this age,” Macias wrote on GoFundMe.

“His elderly wife was selling paletas also to help pay bills, but she fell ill and can't work anymore,” Macías wrote on GoFundMe. “We're trying to raise money to help him with whatever we can. Anything helps. Let's all pitch in and help make life a little easier and brighten both of their day.

Watch NBC Chicago's full story here.

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