ST. JOHNS ESTATE, St. Maarten--Citizen Marlon Ricardo chose to celebrate his birthday on Friday with a selfless act of giving, donating a wheelchair and crutches to White and Yellow Cross in a gesture meant to encourage others to “pay it forward” and serve as good citizens to one another.
Ricardo said the donation came from a deeply personal place. After a car accident last year that left him with a broken hand and foot, he recovered with the help of mobility equipment. Rather than let those items go to waste, he decided to pass them on to an organization he knows regularly needs them.
“This birthday, I did not want it to be about expecting gifts,” Ricardo said. “I wanted it to be about giving back. Not for a frame or publicity, but for my community. If I can help, then I should.”
Ricardo explained that giving has been part of his daily life for years, even when it was not visible to the public.
“I’m always giving in small ways, teaching computer classes, giving away clothes, shoes, and my time,” he said. “Nothing public. I just wanted to share this now so people can see the community can do this too. Pay it forward.”
He hopes the gesture sparks a ripple effect, especially around birthdays, when many people reflect on what it means to see another year. "I hope it creates a trend, a viral trend of giving instead of expecting to get."
“As you get older, you look at life differently,” Ricardo said. “Some friends did not live to see 30 or 40. My good fortune is that I have lived to see 50 plus. When you say you are blessed to see another year, look in the mirror and ask: how blessed am I, and how can I share with someone else?”
Ricardo noted that White and Yellow Cross often has a need for wheelchairs and similar items, and he encouraged residents to think practically about what they already have that could help someone else.
“There are always people who need,” he said. “Instead of the chair going to waste, it can help somebody. Each one, help one.”
He emphasized that the message is simple and accessible: community support does not require a title or public spotlight.
“You don’t need to be a politician,” Ricardo said. “Just be a good citizen.”
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