WAVES....AND DEBRIS GETTING WASHED UP. A VALENTINE'S DAY TRADITION WILL LIVE ON - EVEN AFTER THE DEATH OF THE MAN WHO BECAME KNOWN AS THE "VALENTINE'S DAY BANDIT." THE PERSON RESPONSIBLE FOR SPREADING A LITTLE JOY AND POSTING THOSE MYSTERIOUS PAPER HEARTS. JIM KEITHLEY HAS THE STORY OF KEVIN FAHRMAN (FARM-IN) AND HOW HIS FAMILY PLANS TO CONTINUE HIS LEGACY. EVERY VALENTINE'S DAY SINCE 1979 - PORTLANDERS AWOKE TO RED HEARTS PLASTERED EVERYWHERE - ON STOREFRONT WINDOWS, BIG BANNERS ON PARKING GARAGES, MUSEUMS, CHURCHES - AND EVEN FORT GORGES OUT IN PORTLAND HARBOR. THE VALENTINE'S DAY BANDIT HAD STRUCK AGAIN. AN ANONYMOUS GESTURE. <SOT-SIERRA FAHRMAN/DAUGHTER- 08.13.20> "HE HAD HELP. OF COURSE HE HAD HELP." IT WASN'T UNTIL HIS SUDDEN DEATH - IN THE SPRING 2023 - THE BANDIT'S IDENTITY WAS REVEALED. KEVIN FAHRMAN, OF FALMOUTH. A 67-YEAR-OLD MUSICIAN, TEACHER, HUSBAND, FATHER AND FRIEND. THOSE FRIENDS CONVINCED THE FAMILY, THAT KEVIN NEEDED TO BE RECOGNIZED. <SOT-SIERRA FAHRMAN/DAUGHTER- 08.23.05> "HE DID GET UP THERE? HE DID GET UP THERE, YES. IT WASN'T SOMEBODY AT THE ART GALLERY? NOT INITIALLY." HIS DAUGHTER, SIERRA, GIVING US RARE GLIMPSE BEHIND THE SCENES OF THOSE UNDERCOVER, ROGUE MISSIONS THAT HER FATHER UNDERTOOK ON THE NIGHT BEFORE EACH AND EVERY VALENTINE'S DAY. HERE IS A PICTURE OF HER FATHER CLIMBING UP THE STEEPLE HATCH OF THE FIRST PARISH CHURCH ON CONGRESS STREET IN 2020. HE DROPPED HIS CELL PHONE THAT YEAR. HERE'S THE PICTURE. <SOT-SIERRA FAHRMAN/DAUGHTER- 08.23.35> "HE ROLLED DOWN A SNOW BANK, I KNOW ONE YEAR, SO YEAH HE DEFINITELY CAME CLOSE TO INJURING HIMSELF MANY TIMES." THOSE BOAT TRIPS OUT TO FORT GORGES - PROVED DARK AND DANGEROUS. <SOT-SIERRA FAHRMAN/DAUGHTER- 08.23.27> "I'M SURE HE FELL. I'M SURE HE FELL. HE PROBABLY FELL IN THE WATER AT LEAST ONCE GOING OUT TO THE FORT. <SOT-SIERRA FAHRMAN/DAUGHTER- 08.11.37> "IT SEEMS LIKE A ROMANTIC GESTURE AND THEN KNOWING THE NITTY GRITTY DETAILS OF IT WHERE IT WAS PRETTY HAPHAZARD AND CHAOTIC, ADDS CHARMS TO IT I THINK." THIS YEAR - THE FAMILY HAS LAUNCHED THE "BE A KEVIN" CAMPAIGN. GO TO THEIR WEBSITE, PRINT OFF YOUR OWN PAPER HEART AND POST IT SOMEWHERE, ANONYMOUSLY AND HELP TO CONTINUE THE LEGACY THAT HAS BROUGHT JOY TO SO MANY. <SOT-SIERRA FAHRMAN/DAUGHTER- 08.15.57> "I CARRY ON HIS LEGACY. I WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT HE WAS SOMETHING MORE THAN JUST THE BANDIT." <JIM TAG-08.26.38> "THE FAMILY IS HOSTING AN EVENT TO LAUNCH THE FAHRMAN FOUNDATION WEDNESDAY - THAT'S VALENTINE'S EVENING - FROM 5 TO 8 P.M. HERE AT THE RISING TIDE BREWERY IN BAYSIDE I
'Be a Kevin': Carrying on the legacy of 'Valentine's Day Bandit' who anonymously posted paper hearts
Sierra Fahrman provides a rare glimpse behind the scenes of those undercover, rogue missions that her father undertook on the night before each Valentine's Day.
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Updated: 6:57 PM CST Feb 12, 2024
Every Valentine's Day since 1979 鈥� the people of Portland, Maine, awoke to red hearts plastered everywhere 鈥� on storefront windows, big banners on parking garages, museums, churches and even at Fort Gorges out in Portland Harbor.The Valentine's Day Bandit had struck again. An anonymous gesture."He had help. Of course, he had help," Sierra Fahrman said.It wasn't until his sudden death in the spring of 2023 that the bandit's identity was revealed. Kevin Fahrman of Falmouth, Maine, was a musician, teacher, husband, father, and friend. He was 67. Kevin's friends convinced the family that Kevin needed to be recognized.His daughter, Sierra Fahrman, gave sister station WMTW a rare glimpse behind the scenes of those undercover, rogue missions that her father undertook on the night before each Valentine's Day.She provided a picture of her father climbing up the steeple hatch of the First Parish Church on Congress Street in 2020. He dropped his cell phone that year, shattering it. There were other mishaps, she said."He rolled down a snowbank, I know one year, so yeah, he definitely came close to injuring himself many times," Fahrman said.Those boat trips out to Fort Gorges, a historic former U.S. military fort on Casco Bay, proved dark and dangerous."I'm sure he fell. He probably fell in the water at least once going out to the fort," Fahrman said."It seems like a romantic gesture and then knowing the nitty gritty details of it where it was pretty haphazard and chaotic, adds charms to it I think," Fahrman said.In the video player below: A look at some of the places "The Valentine's Day Bandit" posted hearts in 2019This year, the family has launched the "Be a Kevin" campaign. Go to their website (www.beakevin.com), print off your own paper heart and post it somewhere anonymously and help to continue the legacy that has brought so much joy to so many people."I carry on his legacy. I want to remind people that he was something more than just the bandit," Fahrman said.
PORTLAND, Maine — Every Valentine's Day since 1979 鈥� the people of Portland, Maine, awoke to red hearts plastered everywhere 鈥� on storefront windows, big banners on parking garages, museums, churches and even at Fort Gorges out in Portland Harbor.
The Valentine's Day Bandit had struck again. An anonymous gesture.
"He had help. Of course, he had help," Sierra Fahrman said.
It wasn't until his sudden death in the spring of 2023 that the bandit's identity was revealed.
Kevin Fahrman of Falmouth, Maine, was a musician, teacher, husband, father, and friend. He was 67.
Kevin's friends convinced the family that Kevin needed to be recognized.
His daughter, Sierra Fahrman, gave sister station WMTW a rare glimpse behind the scenes of those undercover, rogue missions that her father undertook on the night before each Valentine's Day.
She provided a picture of her father climbing up the steeple hatch of the First Parish Church on Congress Street in 2020. He dropped his cell phone that year, shattering it. There were other mishaps, she said.
"He rolled down a snowbank, I know one year, so yeah, he definitely came close to injuring himself many times," Fahrman said.
Those boat trips out to Fort Gorges, a historic former U.S. military fort on Casco Bay, proved dark and dangerous.
"I'm sure he fell. He probably fell in the water at least once going out to the fort," Fahrman said.
"It seems like a romantic gesture and then knowing the nitty gritty details of it where it was pretty haphazard and chaotic, adds charms to it I think," Fahrman said.
In the video player below: A look at some of the places "The Valentine's Day Bandit" posted hearts in 2019
This year, the family has launched the "Be a Kevin" campaign. Go to their website (), print off your own paper heart and post it somewhere anonymously and help to continue the legacy that has brought so much joy to so many people.
"I carry on his legacy. I want to remind people that he was something more than just the bandit," Fahrman said.
