Aside from marking his 22nd year, Ricci is also launching his own YouTube channel, Ricci Rivero Playground.
His pilot episode. which will go live later today, introduces a special guest: fellow birthday celebrant and one of his biggest fans, Freslee Salazar, an 18-year-old cancer patient.
While on lockdown in Isabela, Rivero reached out to Iloilo-based Freslee via online video chat. It was a pleasant surprise for Salazar, who couldn't wait to share the news to her friends. She later wrote on her personal page: “Best night ever, na-surprise talaga ako sa mga nangyari kanina, sobrang saya ko talaga. No words can express my feelings right now. From the moment we talked, until now, parang natutulala pa rin ako at hindi makapaniwala.”
Based on her public posts, Freslee has been supporting the 6-foot-1 guard for a few years now. It was her cousin, Felyn Piamonte, who made their virtual meetup possible by messaging Ricci on Twitter.
As for Rivero, he was happy to reach out in this way.
“Speaking to Freslee and seeing her smile made my birthday so much more meaningful, birthdays are really a celebration of life. It gave that sense of fulfillment that I am blessed to be able to reach out happiness to anyone who needs it in any way I can,” he shared.
He also said fans can expect much more from Rivero’s vlog.
“I wanted to give it back to my supporters and join me on my virtual playground in the absence of sporting events. On this channel, we would be able to still interact more and play more,” Rivero said.
Expect Rivero to create videos that lean towards sports, entertainment, lifestyle, and the latest trends. If we go by this short preview clip posted yesterday, baked goods will also be involved.
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