2nd Street Joe's Appreciation Fund!
Donation protected
Joe Johnson, otherwise knows as "The Second Street Waving Guy," has become a very well-known and well-liked fixture in Rochester, Minnesota. He has more than 7000 fans on Facebook and brings a smile to many faces on a regular basis. Almost every day for the past decade, Joe’s been out on Second Street waving flags in outfits as flamboyant and joyful as he is. “I love my waving,” he tells us.
There’s more truth to that than many people realize. Joe took up his position on Second Street after experiencing a series of losses that left him reeling. First, his father, an Army veteran, passed away. Soon after, Joe had to give up custody of his son. And then, an ex-girlfriend was killed in an auto accident. The one-two-three punch left Joe “devastated,” he says. “I lost everything I loved. I had to figure out what to do to keep surviving.” His saving grace came courtesy of some flags in his apartment. Memorial Day was coming up, and Joe decided he’d “make my dad proud by waving the flag” that day. So he did. For 14 hours. And “people went crazy,” Joe says. “They waved and honked. I was stunned.” He was also hooked, and tells us his flag waving has allowed him “to take the negative in my life and put it into a positive.”
Joe tells us it makes him “feel grateful inside to know that people like what I’m doing.” And he hopes that when people see him, they feel inspired. “Everybody thinks they can’t do something, but if they see me, maybe they’ll decide to try something, too,” he says. “Maybe this will give everybody more opportunities.”
I created this GoFundMe page so his fans could do something nice for him and as a way to show their support for what he does. He lives on very little, so this will be a huge deal to him. He can use some of the money for waving attire (costumes), Pepsi and a much-needed laptop.
AND REMEMBER, THIS WILL BE A SURPRISE, SO PLEASE DON'T SAY ANYTHING TO JOE!
Thanks for helping and have a very Merry Christmas!
Dean Riggott Photography
www.riggottphoto.com
There’s more truth to that than many people realize. Joe took up his position on Second Street after experiencing a series of losses that left him reeling. First, his father, an Army veteran, passed away. Soon after, Joe had to give up custody of his son. And then, an ex-girlfriend was killed in an auto accident. The one-two-three punch left Joe “devastated,” he says. “I lost everything I loved. I had to figure out what to do to keep surviving.” His saving grace came courtesy of some flags in his apartment. Memorial Day was coming up, and Joe decided he’d “make my dad proud by waving the flag” that day. So he did. For 14 hours. And “people went crazy,” Joe says. “They waved and honked. I was stunned.” He was also hooked, and tells us his flag waving has allowed him “to take the negative in my life and put it into a positive.”
Joe tells us it makes him “feel grateful inside to know that people like what I’m doing.” And he hopes that when people see him, they feel inspired. “Everybody thinks they can’t do something, but if they see me, maybe they’ll decide to try something, too,” he says. “Maybe this will give everybody more opportunities.”
I created this GoFundMe page so his fans could do something nice for him and as a way to show their support for what he does. He lives on very little, so this will be a huge deal to him. He can use some of the money for waving attire (costumes), Pepsi and a much-needed laptop.
AND REMEMBER, THIS WILL BE A SURPRISE, SO PLEASE DON'T SAY ANYTHING TO JOE!
Thanks for helping and have a very Merry Christmas!
Dean Riggott Photography
www.riggottphoto.com
Organizer
Dean Allen
Organizer
Rochester, MN