Josh Cardiff from Peachland just turned six, but he couldn鈥檛 have a party with his friends as everyone is staying home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
But what he got instead was a birthday parade, with many from the community wishing him happy birthday, including paramedics and fire crews.
Josh said it was the best birthday ever.
鈥淭he parade was awesome and it was so cool,鈥� he said.
鈥淎nd the fire truck was awesome!鈥�
Jenn Sterling and Lisa McMurray are two co-administrators from West 麻豆精选 Party Parades. There are four others, but they take turns and share the work, they said.
According to Sterling, the idea started with Alida Steele, who wanted to organize parades for Rose Valley鈥檚 kids.
鈥淚 heard about what she was doing in Rose Valley and I wanted that for my kids too, so here we are,鈥� she said.
She added it鈥檚 been about a week now and the birthday parades have grown immensely in popularity.
McMurray volunteered to be a co-administrator to help the group plan out routes and getting people together for the parades.
Sterling said they didn鈥檛 expect the idea to take off the way it has.
鈥淚 thought it was just going to be me and three other moms looking like a bunch of lunatics yelling at kids on the street. We still look like lunatics, but I guess we鈥檙e not alone.鈥�
Both Sterling and McMurray said planning the parades and doing them is a lot of work, along with balancing their lives, but they said it鈥檚 worth it.
鈥淭here are just so many reasons it鈥檚 worth it, but they鈥檙e kids and it鈥檚 their birthday and they鈥檙e being told they can鈥檛 see their friends and their family鈥� it鈥檚 hard on them,鈥� Sterling said.
鈥淜ids are saying it鈥檚 even better than a party, and that鈥檚 always awesome to hear. It鈥檚 not just the kids who love it. It鈥檚 everyone along the route, in their homes鈥� the community really comes together,鈥� McMurray said.
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