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They just had $2 to give him but decided to do so much more!
By Ethan Cotler — Written on May 28, 2023
A simple act of kindness from a father and son captured countless people’s hearts after it was posted online. In May 2020, the selfless father and son duo made ripples with their kindhearted deed just after the father lost his job.
It all started with a fishing trip and a bit of forgetfulness. According to Green Bay local news station WFRV, 17-year-old Chase Dahlke was fishing at Voyageur Park on Memorial Day and returned home missing something crucial.
“I was fishing with my buddy,” he told the news outlet. “After we got done fishing, I noticed that my wallet was gone. I got home, checked my drawers, there was nothing in there.”
An 11-year-old boy returned a lost wallet despite his own family struggling.
While Chase assumed it was a total loss, Lorenzo Hietpas and his 11-year-old son Vince were taking a quiet stroll in the park. They came across the wallet and opened it, seeing it belonged to Chase. “We were walking to our car, and then we saw the wallet next to a tree,” Vince said.
Using the driver’s license address, they drove to the house and Vince took it to the door himself.
The Dahlke family had a Ring camera, but no one was home. When Chase’s father, Jason, checked the app, he saw the young Vince standing at the door. He spoke to him through the doorbell and learned the situation. So, he rushed home and retrieved the wallet.
He gave him all that was in the wallet to reward the kind act. Even though it was only $2, Vince was grateful.
“We got two dollars and I was happy,” he said. However, Jason was so surprised at the act of kindness that he wanted to pay it forward more.
“I was still kind of in shock that somebody could do a nice gesture like this,” Jason said. He didn’t get the Hietpas’ contact information, so his wife Michelle made a Facebook post with screenshots of Vince from the Ring camera.
“Who knows this kid? We want to reward him! So thankful for him and his dad. There is so much hate in this world and so much negativity. It’s time to focus on the positive,” she wrote.
Friends and family of the Hietpas were quick to identify Vince. Thus, the two families were brought together. After reconnecting, they learned more about their family’s situation.
Lorenzo caught COVID-19, and when he was better enough to return to his job at a meat processing plant, he struggled to continue working. After his recovery, it was too difficult for him to breathe with the PPE equipment. So, he started to work odd jobs to support his family.
The Dahlke family decided to start a GoFundMe for them and reached over $11,000 in donations!
In an emotional video, Vince and Lorenzo returned to Dahlke’s house, but they had something to give them this time! Though, the father and son brought a bouquet and a card to thank the family for their efforts.
The Dahlke family gave them all the donations they had received thus far, which undoubtedly was a big help during a very challenging time.
Ethan Cotler is a writer living in Boston. His writing covers entertainment, news and human interest stories.