Community Surprises 3-Year-Old Despite His Cancelled Birthday Party

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A Maine community stepped in to give a three-year-old boy the birthday surprise he deserved after his parents had to cancel his birthday party due to the coronavirus.

Owen Cookson, of East Sangerville, Maine, had been looking forward to the celebration for months. So when parents of all the invited children canceled because of concerns about the virus, others stepped in to fill the gap, WABI reported.

When the East Sangerville Grange discovered what happened, they decided to give Owen a birthday worth celebrating by putting on a vehicle parade in front of his family’s house.

Owen’s father took a Facebook video Sunday of all the vehicles circling the driveway, with some cars donning decorations to celebrate the occasion.

Owen cracked a smile on his face, seeming to enjoy the parade.

Owen’s father says it is the best present his son could have gotten given the circumstances and shows how a community can step up to help in times of need.

“Maybe we should all join birthday parades and remember that we are all a community, and even with social distancing, we can support each other,” wrote Benjamin Cookson on Facebook, according to WABI.

Communities and families have been coming together to celebrate birthdays despite social distancing orders. In Syracuse, New York, the family of a 95-year-old sang “Happy Birthday” to her from her front yard, and in Spain, neighbors sang “Happy Birthday” to an 80-year-old woman under lockdown.

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