TikTok | @miklo_98

More Than $60,000 Raised To Help Ice Cream Man In Viral Video Retire

When you're deciding on a career, you have to take a lot of factors into account, like what you have a passion for doing and what kind of life outside of work you'll be able to lead. Now, you might not make money hand-over-fist as an ice cream man, but you'll sure win over a lot of hearts. If there's any doubt about that, just check out how one community has come together for its beloved vendor of frozen treats.

For Father's Day, one TikTok user decided to get his local ice cream man a treat.

TikTok | @miklo_98

As he originally shared on the platform, Michaelangelo Mosqueda and his family saw one their favorite people in the world, 70-year-old Rosario Del Real, out pushing his yellow cart on a hot Father's Day and thought they should do something nice for him.

So, they bought his entire stock of $2 paletas - Mexican-style ice pops - so he could go right home and relax and cool off.

No surprise, Don Rosario broke down at their thoughtful, generous gesture.

TikTok | @miklo_98

The family bought $130 of paletas that day, but they also bought a smile for a man who had brought them so many over the years as well. Mosqueda got the exchange on video, and after posting it to TikTok, it went viral. Don Rosario's reaction melted hearts around the world, and the video has been viewed millions of times.

Mosqueda and his family didn't stop there, however.

TikTok | @miklo_98

After the video went viral, they set up a GoFundMe to help Don Rosario retire.

"My grandfather just finished retiring this past year and to see Don Rosario out there pushing the cart day in and day out, we just felt like we needed to do something for him," Mosqueda explained to Block Club Chicago.

Just like the video, the GoFundMe went viral too.

TikTok | @miklo_98

So far, it has raised more than $60,000. And it wasn't just people who knew Don Rosario or Mosqueda and his family chipping in - people from all over who knew and loved their own paleta man wanted to help Don Rosario reach the day when he can stop pushing his cart on hot days a little faster.

"The paleta man was KING to us kids in Chicago!!!!" wrote one woman. "Miss those days. Bless you guys!"

"It’s heartbreaking that he has to work at this age. I’m so glad you did this for him," another person wrote.

Mosqueda and his family are planning on surprising Don Rosario with a big check soon.

"I can’t wait to see Rosario’s reaction when we surprise him with the money," Karen Gonzalez, who helped organize the fundraiser, told The Washington Post. "He deserves that and more."

"This amount of money will allow him to be more comfortable and he won’t have to worry about the day-to-day expenses of life," she added to Block Club Chicago.

h/t: Block Club Chicago, The Washington Post