$389,290 Check Given to Fidencio Sanchez, Chicago Paleta Vendor, 89, After Fundraising Campaign Ends on GoFundMe
Update - September 24, 2016 - 2:30 p.m. ET: On Wednesday, September 21, Mr. Fidencio Sanchez finally received a check for $384,290 - money that was raised on GoFundMe after thousands of people donated for the purpose of supporting the 89-year-old and his wife and their cause to retire.
It was closure to the almost two weeks that took place since the photo of Mr. Sanchez was first shared on Facebook by passerby Joel Macia Cervantes. The photo of the stooped paletero pushing his popsicle cart proved to touch people's heart and was soon shared multiple times spreading like wildfire. In less than one week it had sparked interest from national and international media.
Upon receiving the check Sanchez shared his gratitude towards the multitude of people that heard his story and decided to contribute to the fund. He also thanked Joel for sharing the photo and opening the Go Fund Me account. He finally thanked God. "I'll never forget this, thank you everyone for supporting and most of all I would like to thank God," were the words of the Chicago resident.
Sanchez and his wife will finally be able to retire after 23-years of selling popsicles in the streets of Chicago. He had actually retired before but after his daughter passed away last year he had no choice but to return to his business.
A "thank you" party was held on Friday, September 23rd to express the gratitude to all those people who participated in the fundraiser campaign. Let's hope Mr. Sanchez can now continue his life with more comfort.
Read also: MORE: 15-yr-old orphan Sets Up a GoFundMe Page After Mom Shot Dead By Stray Bullet in L.A. Bus Stop
----------------------------------------
Update - September 16, 2016 - 10:26 a.m. ET: As of today the campaign has raised $369,236 with more than 16,000 people participating.
-----------------------------------------
The life of "paleta" vendor, Fidencio Sanchez, took a sharp turn when a photo of the 89-year-old man selling popsicles in the streets of Chicago was posted on Facebook last week.
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!