Ashley Woodcox was on her way to the mall to buy Christmas presents in mid-December. On her way there, she spotted an elderly, short man walking along the road with a cane.

The 27-year-old pulled over to offer him a ride, recognizing him as the same man her mother picked up 10 years ago after seeing him hike 14 miles to work every day, and asked how he's been since she moved away from Clinton a decade ago.

Risto Kotewski, the 75-year-old Macedonian man well known around Clinton, had bad news. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and didn't have enough money to cover treatment.

Woodcox was moved to launch a GoFundMe for him, raising more than $6,000, and hoping to raise more.

"I was just thinking, 'Why am I going to the mall to buy all these stupid things when this man has nothing?'" she said. "I wanted to do something for him, and this is one of those days I would never forget."

She surpassed her original goal of $5,000 within two weeks, raising it to $10,000. So far, people have donated $6,560. She and her boyfriend, Corey Schoenig, also take him out to eat a few times a month, to spend time with him and ensure he's getting a hot meal.

Many of us in Clinton know this man. You may not know his name, but you have seen him walking in town, occasionally... Posted by Town of Clinton, New Jersey on Tuesday, January 2, 2018

"We gave him a soup and a salad and he acted like we were giving him a million bucks. We gave him a $50 and he had tears in his eyes," she said.

The money raised won't only be used for treatments, but also necessities, and a new pair of hiking boots, Woodcox noted. He's completing radiation at Hunterdon Medical Center in Raritan Township, but she doesn't know what treatment options will be available to him next because of patient privacy laws.

Woodcox, who now lives in Glen Gardner, often visits him at his home, she said, explaining he lives in Whitehouse Station, living out of one room that includes a microwave, bed, a small TV from the 90s and a mini fridge stocked with two cans of cat food.

So for Kotewski to have an entire community rallying behind him to offer him the best life is unfathomable to him, Woodcox said.

"It means the world to him to know he has a ton of support from complete strangers," she added. "Our community as a whole has come together and it's good to see that for him."

Her next plan for Kotewski is planning his 76th birthday on March 29.

"He has no idea about all the people that care about him, and I can guarantee he's never had a birthday party," she said. "I just want to change that."

Sophie Nieto-Munoz may be reached at snietomunoz@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her at @snietomunoz. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips