When remembering Vic Gonzales, people speak of him as a kind and caring man that enjoyed doing things for others and simply making people happy. At age 78, Vic passed away Feb. 12, 2013, in a sudden accident while delivering valentines to family members.
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On Valentine’s Day two years ago, Vic drove around to deliver these Valentine’s Day Cards to his young nieces, knowing it would absolutely make their day.
“On one of the stops, he felt he put the vehicle in park, but it was actually in neutral,” said Phil Gonzales. “As he tried to exit, the vehicle started rolling. He tried to jump and hit the brake and the car rolled and pinned him in-between a car door and post. He suffered a crushing injury to his chest and died.”
It was a shocking and very heartbreaking Valentine’s Day for the family that year. It is now their mission from now on to make sure it is now a weekend of happiness for everyone around them, just as Vic would wish it to be.
“Vic was an individual who instilled in myself and my other cousins a sense of heritage, and taught us to always be proud of who we are and where we come from,” said Phil. “He was a huge Cubs fan, unlike any other Cubs fans who normally had to wait until next year when those Cubs were going to be good. I would ask him, why do you root for the Cubs when you live 30 minutes from St. Louis? He would say, I live in Illinois, that is why I root for the Cubs.”
Upon retirement, Vic spent much of his time volunteering for the Red Cross. As an Army veteran, Vic felt compelled to go to the Pentagon and volunteer after the attack on 9/11. It is no doubt that he put himself before others throughout his entire life.
“He helped mobilize and organized things the Red Cross was known for,” said Phil. “He went to places like Ground Zero and said it was so moving. He talked about how people were so thankful and how other volunteers were there, lending a hand and doing what they could to assist, even if it was just giving a bottle of water.
His moral character and demeanor has had a lasting effect for many and his followers are growing nation wide.
Social Media has been a big part of spreading the movement. Ken Cruz, Vic’s nephew, wanted his Uncle’s charisma to live on. He formed a group on Facebook called “Vic’s Valentines 2015” and created a weekend-long event called “Random Acts of Kindness Weekend” which is this weekend, Feb.13-15.
The mission is simple: Pass on a good deed, do something nice, participate in a random act of kindness. On Vic’s Valentines 2015, Cruz encourages followers to get involved.
“I want everyone to do something nice for someone. It can be anything. Call someone, send a letter, post something positive on their Facebook wall, buy a stranger a cup of coffee, donate blood, pray for someone, buy someone lunch, visit someone in a nursing home, clean a yard, the list goes on and on,” he states on the page.
Participants share their stories on Vic’s Valentine’s 2015 Facebook page for everyone to see. The creative ways to make someone’s day is encouraging enough in itself.
Join in on the movement, join Vic’s Valentines 2015 on Facebook and make a difference in someone’s Valentine’s Day weekend.Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
