When it comes to giving back to the people of his hometown, very few can rise to the occasion like Dowagiac business owner Brian Antisdel.

Last week, Antisdel and several others passed out nearly 3,200 watermelons to local residents, giving away the fruit completely free of charge. According to the Dowagiac man, it was the largest giveaway he had ever participated in, he said.

“It was a real emotional experience — though my back is still hurting from it,” he said.

Setting up shop outside of several local businesses, including Hannapel Home Center and the Dowagiac BP Gas Station, Antisdel, his wife Tammy and other volunteers handed out the fruit through last week from the back of trailer lent to them by Greg Ferrier with Dowagiac’s World Wide Diesel, flagging down people walking or driving by, Antisdel said. In addition, the volunteers went door to door in local neighborhoods, handing out two or three watermelons to families in need, he said.

“It was a powerful feeling to know all those people would be enjoying those watermelons,” Antisdel said.

The Dowagiac man got involved with the giveaway after a visit from Niles’ Sy Vanderbutts, who was asking for some assistance with a computer issue, Antisdel said. When asked what he did for a living, Vanderbutts said he and his nonprofit group, Garden of Divinity, were giving away a large quantity of watermelons to the public. In response, Antisdel volunteered to help him.

“I told him I would try to give away six crates at first,” Antisdel said. “I ended up giving them all away within a couple hours.”

The owner of downtown computer repair business Dowagiac IT3, Antisdel has become a philanthropist of sorts to the local community and beyond. Late last year, Antisdel helped organize a water collection effort to donate to residents living in Flint following the massive lead contamination of the city’s water supply, as well as helped pay for the outstanding lunch balances of more than 70 students at Dowagiac Middle School in January.

While his latest act of giving may have been his largest, it will not be his last as he plans to continue to assist Vanderbutts with any future giveaways in the future, Antisdel said.