Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, wants friends and colleagues to do the good works in memory of his son, Ritchie Hill.
Ritchie died in 2004, shortly after his 28th birthday. Ritchie, a non-smoker, succumbed to lung cancer, leaving behind a wife and three children. Since then, the Hill family has commemorated his Jan. 27 birthday; the celebration often centered on service acts, Hill said.
Ritchie would have turned 37 this year.
“Ritchie was known for helping others and loved reaching out to those in need,” Hill wrote in a Facebook post.
His family is focusing on small acts throughout his neighborhood, like making a blanket for a neighbor who also lost his son.
Others replied to Hill’s online request with service ideas of their own. One person donated coats, and another shoveled a neighbor’s driveway. Multiple legislators commented on or “liked” the post.
Sen. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, wrote online that the plan was a “great tribute.” Hagedorn said he liked the idea of service for the sake of service, not for accolades or attention.
Hill said he was touched by the response and outpouring of love for Ritchie.
“It’s very gratifying to know that people still remember him,” he said.
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