PORTLAND, Maine — Less than a full year since the unexpected passing of her father, Sierra Fahrman said promoting her father's Valentine's Day legacy is a way to remember him.
"It's always been special to me ... even if he wasn't my dad I would have been connected to it," Fahrman said.
Sierra is the daughter of Kevin Fahrman, the Valentine's Day Bandit.
Kevin's work of more than 40 years was hidden from public view. Only immediate family and longtime friends knew his true identity.
From hanging a 20-foot heart off Fort Gorges to posting hundreds of printer-paper pages of hearts around Portland, the legacy of Fahrman grew each year without us ever knowing his name.
In April 2023, Fahrman passed away suddenly. It was then that his inner circle revealed his alias as the Valentine's Day Bandit.
"I think Valentine's Day means something different for people here because of the Bandit," Sierra said. "He was a very generous and genuine person ... every night at dinner he would ask what was something nice you did for someone today?"
Sierra shared fond memories of her dad, from how he cared for her to what he did for others.
Kevin Fahrman was a photographer, teacher, musician, and friend to many.
"I think he would be disappointed if we were sitting around and not trying to make something good of his passing," Sierra said.
Months went by after his death when she and her mom got the idea to start a foundation in his name: Be a Kevin.
This website allows people to download a PDF of the heart Kevin and his friends used to paint the town in hearts every Valentine's Day. Sierra said people can download it, print it out, and post it as they please.
In addition to the public participation this year, Sierra promised that people will be working behind the scenes, in anonymity just like her dad did, to make sure the hearts will be around town this year and hopefully in the years going forward.
"It's been so wonderful to hear the support and would have been mind-blowing to him ... you could be more like Kevin in your community and touch so many more people than you might think."