Dear friends,

On Thursday, March 23rd, Russ and Stacie Macias arrived in New York City to visit their two children, Sarah and Micah.  Russ was dealing with a lingering sickness, and by early Saturday he needed to be taken by ambulance to the emergency room.  He received round-the-clock treatment from the ICU, including tests, medication, and procedures.

By the morning of Sunday, March 26th, due to gastrointestinal bleeding, Russ passed away while surrounded by his immediate family.

As Russ was between jobs when he passed, he did not have medical insurance. This campaign is to help Russ' wife Stacie with the cost of the hospital bills.

Words can never encapsulate the life of Russ Macias, but one word that comes to mind is "love".  He seized every day to fill his big, brimming heart with humor and love for life, family and other human beings. It was infectious. The magnitude of that love continues to resonate in the hearts and minds of those fortunate people who crossed his path: from his family and friends to shop owners to members of his congregation—even the nurses and doctors who were with him in his final days.

Please contribute what you can, but if you can't give, remember Russ' life as a great example of faith, humility, gratitude, and boyish fun.

And please always remember his mantra: Life is good!