ELGIN, IL — In an age of social distancing, a child’s birthday party takes on a host of problems far beyond picking out a cake and a party theme. For Jennifer Schneff Williamson of Elgin, she knew she’d have to cancel her daughter’s in-person birthday party with family and neighbors, which had been scheduled for Friday.
She couldn’t have Olivia’s grandparents and others at the planned gathering at her house considering fears over the spread of the coronavirus. At first, she said, her daughter didn’t seem too bothered by it. But the night before the party, she asked if her aunt was coming over on her birthday.
As Jennifer told her daughter about “these germs that are out there right now” and why they couldn’t come over, Olivia got very sad. So that night, Jennifer decided to post to the Providence, Remington, Copper Springs, Shadow Hills, Elgin, Il – What’s Up Facebook page asking neighbors to drive by their house on Friday to wish her daughter a happy birthday.
She also sent the message out to her one son’s baseball team and her other son’s football team.
“And I just thought, ‘let’s see what happens,'” Jennifer said.
When it came time for the birthday drive-by parade at 11 a.m., Olivia stood in front of her house with her family. In total 64 cars drove by for a “solid thirty minutes.” Happy Birthday played in the background and vehicles honked their horns as people shouted, “Happy Birthday, Olivia.”
Some threw handmade cards out their windows. Other families stopped, got out of their vehicle and sang Happy Birthday before letting the next vehicle have its turn to extend birthday wishes to Olivia.
Friends from Olivia’s preschool, which has been closed due to COVID-19 shutdown, also drove-by.
“She was very excited to see her friends who she hasn’t been able to see lately,” Jennifer said.
Jennifer said the most amazing part was that while the family knew about half of the people that drove by, the other half were strangers.
“A huge ‘thank you’ to our neighborhood,” she said. “That was beyond generous.”
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