Community Throws Surprise Party to Celebrate Hard Work of UPS Driver During Pandemic

UPS driver Anthony Gaskin was brought to tears by the spontaneous generosity of his community which threw him a massive surprise celebration thanking him for his hard work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

WTRV reports that Gaskin’s daily deliveries “have been life-saving, both literally and figuratively, to the Midlothian neighbors.”

To express their appreciation for his hard work, dozens of cars and hundreds of his customers lined a street on his daily route and waited for him to show up on December 15.

When he turned the corner, the community erupted into cheers while little kids held signs and adults honked their horns in adulation.

Photo Credit: WTVR / Lexi Hanrahan

“Through COVID, Anthony has continued working, delivering packages at our doors, record numbers of them, over 180 times to date,” Hallsley neighbor Patty Friedman told WTVR. “I wanted to thank him personally for how much he helped me feel welcome when I moved in during a pandemic. It was terribly lonely, and he was always the highlight of my day. Mentioning this to a few people and the response I got was all I needed to know I was not alone.”

Friedman noted that due to his humility, Gaskin needed encouragement to drive down the street.

“Arriving on bikes, on foot, and in more than 75 cars, hundreds of Hallsley residents lined the road and waited for Anthony to turn the corner… A humble man, he needed to be coaxed, but eventually, slowly drove his truck down the road while children and adults held up signs, screamed his name, honked their horns, and rang bells,” she added.

Photo Credit: WTVR / Lexi Hanrahan

Gaskin’s supervisors, who were in on the surprise, also showed up to present him with a gift.

Another neighbor told WTVR, “Anthony always smiles, waves, and goes above and beyond to deliver packages with care. He makes you feel like a friend when you see him. He brightens our day, whenever he drops off a package, which is frequently at our house! He stands out from ALL other delivery drivers and we love him! Cheers to Anthony!”

WTVR says “the neighborhood gesture visibly moved Gaskin, who spoke briefly, thanked everyone, and then got back to work.”

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Photo from Facebook/Lexi Hanrahan