Family remembers deceased Elkhart man's words on billboards

ELKHART, Ind. (AP) - Relatives of an Elkhart man who died in a hiking accident in Vermont are spreading his message of kindness on billboards around his hometown.

About 150 members of Matthew Dibley's family pooled their money together to lease the billboards after the 30-year-old died in July, The Elkhart Truth (http://bit.ly/2iG8ACo ) reported.

The signs will feature a photo of Dibley on a hike, along with a quote he is known for saying: "Be nice to each other out there, people." He often said these words at the end of videos he made as head brewer for a kombucha maker he helped launch, Aqua ViTea.

"It struck a chord with me," said Greg Lucchese, a cousin who came up with the idea for the billboards. "It's a powerful message, especially in this day and age. It's pure and simple."

The first billboard went up Friday, and more are expected to go up in February and March, including one in Union, Michigan.

According to Lucchese, the objective will be to move around the signs for more people to see them.

"A lot of people have said what a fantastic way it is to keep Matt's memory alive," Lucchese said. "The goal was to put a positive message out there that's applicable to everybody - that everybody could use in their life."

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Information from: The Elkhart Truth, http://www.elkharttruth.com