Your Acts of Kindness

I picked up my neighbor’s mail while they are vacationing in Mexico. I noticed a letter from the parking ticket enforcement authorities. I drove down there and paid off his three small fines. I put the cash receipt back in with his bill and listed your website. I’m not telling him anything about it.

(secret name :-) )

A Christmas story…a Southwest Wisconsin mother and son are facing some severe hardships right now. In addition to struggling to pay rent, utilities, and putting food on the table, she will be having a surgery that will put her out of commission for at least one week after Christmas. After finding out that her son needed a winter coat and socks, those items were purchased for his upcoming 10th birthday. Thanks to the generosity of a kind man, her utilities are paid, her rent is paid, and gift cards will be delivered this week to help with other needs. The emotions were deep – surprise turned into disbelief, then relief. Then a sincere gratefulness overwhelmed her and the tears began to flow. A promise was made to pay it forward when finances allowed in the future. Doin’ it for Derek – keep it going…Merry Christmas!!!

(So glad we could help out this deserving family)

Delivered two big loads of wood anonymously to a great family yesterday who use wood as their only heating source. Wood donated by our friend while truck, gas, and labor provided by several others. Merry Christmas!

Bob Koestler et al

We were the recipients of a wonderful Act of Kindness for this evening. Derek Machan (choral director at Waterford Union High) and Jake Wolf (A member of the UW Madhatters) gave us tickets for tonight’s concert at the Orpheum in Madison. Our daughter Peyton watches Pitch Perfect every week it seems (I am a huge fan also) and Lucas loves to sing. This will be such a special treat. We will be bringing my mom along with us as Brandee and the kids travel early tomorrow. I love A Cappella music being a Show Choir and Madrigal guy back in the day. Thank you so much for such a wonderful gift for our family. This will be a very special evening and it is so wonderful for them to do this for our family.

Steve Lendosky

I was in a plastic modeling group and I decided to ask, because these guys are like model gurus ok anyway I asked if anyone knew of a model of the U.S.S. Antietam.that was one of the ships my daddy served on. And thought it would be cool to build it and put it on display! Well I received a few responses about who sold them etc. then I received a friend request so I checked him out and accepted. He proceeded to send me a text saying he had one and asked for my address?? I said well I don’t have any cash right now to by it… He basically tells me he didn’t ask me to buy it that he was an air force veteran and had the kit a long time and wanted it to go to someone it would mean something to….I was totally blown away by such generosity! Sure it’s “just” a model kit but it is so rare to find a true selfless and giving person it just floored me I was all chocked up and still kind of am! He kind of inspired me to try and be a better person. I am sorry for being so long winded but I had to share with those I love how a simple act of kindness by a total stranger can create such an overwhelming feeling of love and thankfulness! He is a hero to me!

Marvin Scott Hoffmaster

Doing a Random Act of Kindness for a beautiful little girl who will be heading out soon for her 1st trip to Disney from Make a Wish. In the spirit of Disney Pin Trading (Betsy Ralph-Tollefson), our kids chose this lanyard and all of these pins to help her get started on her pin collection. For those of you not aware of what this is (As we weren’t either when we went) she can trade any of these pins with any of the “cast members” at the Disney Parks for any pin that they have. We hope that her and her family have a great time. They deserve it. Have fun Autumn!

Steve, Brandee, Derek, Lucas and Peyton Lendosky

Tyler Tollefson and I have been on vacation in Florida all week. Every day that we have been at Disney we have been sprinkling a little pixie dust here and there. We have randomly been giving Disney trading pins to kids we see along with the card. All the kids and their parents have been so appreciative. My favorite though was a little girl in line behind us on the Tower of Terror. She was quite afraid and hugging her dad tight and crying a little. He calmly told her it was all part of the show. I saw she had a Belle necklace on so I tried to give her a Beauty and the Beast pin. The only one I had was a pin of the wardrobe..so I turned to the girl and gave her the pin and told her that we were impressed with how brave she was. All of a sudden the tears went away, a smile came out – she looked at her parents and then looked at me again and said “don’t you have any Belle pins?!” We couldn’t help but laugh and said no it was just a random pin for a random act of kindness. Before she knew it she had braved the ride and didn’t even care cause she was too excited to trade for a Belle pin!

Betsy Ralph-Tollefson

8 years ago, Brandee and I, and our two boys, Derek and Lucas, stumbled into apple country in Gays Mills. While driving we saw a sign for “Pick Your Own Apples” and figured this would be great. We actually brought a wagon for the boys, just in case we needed it. Derek was 3 and Lucas 2 at the time. A wonderful husband and wife greeted us at the stand and explained the process. We walked down to the Cortland/Spartan break and loaded up the wagon with a couple bushels of apples. The next year we travelled back again and this time with our newborn daughter Peyton. We continued to make this a family tradition and brought others around to enjoy the time with us. Derek and Lucas were even on the cover of their brochure one year. Many have been the recipients of Brandees’ wonderful apple pie bars and apple pies. They are amazing.

2 years ago when we arrived there, we were told that the wife was pretty sick. She had cancer. Last year marked the first time since 2006 that we did not stop there, with Derek’s death. This past weekend we stopped back, discovering that she had passed away from cancer a couple months before Derek died. She was a very kind woman and their family is also very kind. On Saturday, when we finished picking, they only wanted to charge us for 1 bushel but we paid for a couple, as we had a large tote. When we left, we paid for two other families to have some apples on Derek. I encourage everyone to give apple picking a try at Starry Ridge Orchard. It is a great experience for the young kids.

Steve Lendosky

2 more doing it for Derek cards handed out today. I bought supper on the spur of the moment for two ladies who let me know I had dropped a 5 dollar bill out of my pocket. It surprised them. They tried to get my name a coupe times when I gave them the cards after supper and I would not tell them. Had they thought and looked at their receipt, my name was on the bottom of it.. I sat by myself in the upper level and they sat on the first level. We visited and talked for about a half hour it seems after supper. During the conversation they so to speak grilled me as to my connection with Derek. Was he a relative or close friend? The only connection I could tell them was Derek grew up about 18 miles from where I grew up till 1973 when I left to join the Air Force and that his story has touched my heart. A great anonymous visit. But I realize now finally that when everything else in my life seems to fall apart, I still have God and Derek to fall back on. God handles my spiritual support while Derek and his legacy gives me a chance to rebound from the bad times in my life and do something good for someone else bringing a smile to their face and putting happiness back in my heart. Yes I lost two baby brothers as I was growing up and I miss them dearly but Derek is that unknown person in my life that I never met yet I lost. It is truly hard to explain the full connection. I don’t think I have completely figured it out my self.

Robert Dilley

I am a medic here in Oklahoma. I just heard about “Do it for derek” At the same time that i heard that a co-worker and chaplain that wed my wife and me has passed. So i posted your link along with the following:I got married last year and just now heard the bad news. the person that wed my wife and me was dead. That Chaplain was “the Michael McElroy” may he R.I.P. You have a tremendous memory! So in his memory, I post this for you to read and challenge everyone in the EMS field to do an act of kindness for derek and to leave a rose in the chapel at OU. i know Michael McElroy would love it. And for those that are not in EMS do an act of kindness for Derek. Gordon Williams