An 89-year-old ice lolly vendor in Chicago has landed a $250,000 windfall, after a customer touched by his work ethic asked the internet for donations on his behalf.

Fidencio Sanchez has been wheeling his ice lolly cart around the streets of Chicago for decades, working through the seasons despite his advanced age. His wife, who used to help out, recently fell ill and can no longer work. 

Chicago native Joel Cervantes Macias was so moved by the sight of the elderly Mr Sanchez selling his wares that he bought $50 worth of ice lollies, and then went online and set up a GoFundMe page asking for donations to help "the paleta man". 

"We're trying to raise money to help him with whatever we can. Let's all pitch in and make life a little easier," he wrote on the funding page. The post was accompanied by a photo of Mr Sanchez wearing a yellow cap, bent over as he pushed his cart. 

The GoFundMe plea touched many heartstrings, and within hours the post had gone viral, blowing through its original $3,000 target and reaching an incredible $263.283 at the time of writing. So far, almost 12,000 people have donated money to Mr Sanchez. 

"I'm very grateful and very happy," he told CNN in the wake of his unexpected windfall. "And I'll stop working soon."