ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Planning for Noah Simmons’ fourth birthday began months ago — the party location was booked, the dozens of invitations were sent, loot bags were filled and the cupcakes were made and frozen.
But as the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic led to school closures, business shutdowns and strict rules about self-isolating and physical distancing across the country, Noah’s party had to be cancelled, leaving him, his friends and his parents disappointed.
“We told him people were getting sick, but he couldn’t quite understand it,” Noah’s mother, Brenda Simmons, told The Telegram via telephone from her Hickman’s Harbour home Tuesday.
But an online message she noticed late Friday, the night before her son’s birthday, changed everything.
The Random East Volunteer Fire Department had posted on its Facebook page that members were offering to drive by the homes of children who are missing out celebrating their birthdays with friends during the COVID-19 pandemic. With friends in the department, Simmons called right away and arranged to have them drive by the next day, on Noah’s birthday Saturday.
“I thought it was a fantastic idea,” she said. “We didn’t tell Noah anything about it. We wanted it to be a surprise for him.”
After a small celebration with cake and presents with his mom, dad Tony and seven-year-old sister Zoey, the family went outside with Noah to “play” in the front garden at the time designated for the drive-by, 1 p.m.
“When he heard the sirens, he just stopped. A fire truck and a yellow fire van passed by. He was wondering what was going on. He looked puzzled,” said Simmons, whose son loves fire trucks. “Then, when they turned around and came back, he heard them say on their speaker, ‘Happy birthday, Noah!’
“Well, you should’ve seen the smile on his face. He was delighted and so excited. He couldn’t believe they were there for him.”
Noah was even more excited to see several of his friends waving and shouting from vehicles that were following the fire trucks.
“It was so great for him to see his friends,” Simmons said. “They stopped at the end of the driveway and they were calling back and forth to each other, making plans when all this was over. It was almost like a little party in the driveway.
Simmons and her family are grateful to the members of the fire department who turned what could have been a low-key birthday into to grand celebration for Noah.
“It’s such a wonderful thing they did,” she said. “It’s a day we’ll never forget.”
Brightening day
Jason Bryant, a member of the Randon East Volunteer Fire Department, was the one who came up with the idea of birthday drive-bys for kids in the area after seeing other departments across the country do similar events. He said when he ran the idea past the other 20 members, they were in agreement.
“I got kids of my own and my son’s birthday is coming up, so I see how hard it is going to be for him without a party,” Bryant said. “I thought doing something like this, the kids would get some kind of joy from it, to give them some recognition that it’s their birthday.
“It’s a nice way to brighten their day.”
The idea soon took off, as shortly after the department posted it on their Facebook page they got calls from parents in the west region of Random Island, requesting birthday drive-bys for their kids. That led Bryant to contact members of the Random West Volunteer Fire Department, who were more than glad to get on board. The west department services the areas of Aspey Brook, Snook's Harbour, Elliott's Cove, Lady Cove, Weybridge and Random Heights.
Bryant, who has been a member of the Random East Volunteer Fire Department for about a year and a half, has been a member of the St. John’s Regional Fire Department for the past decade, commuting back and forth to work from his home in Hickman’s Harbour. He said while it would be a little more challenging in the capital city, he hopes they’ll continue the birthday drive-bys in the Random Island region.
'Rainbow of hope'
Another fire department is also doing its best to keep community spirit alive during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Conception Bay South Fire Department has a huge rainbow displayed in the station’s windows of its five doors.
“Here’s our rainbow of hope and we encourage other fire departments to do the same,” C.B.S. Mayor Terry French wrote on the town’s Facebook page.
“We have been inspired by the children in our town. They have been placing rainbows in their windows as signs of hope, and now the Conception Bay South Fire Department has done the same.
“This rainbow stands for more than hope. It’s a reminder that we must stay home unless absolutely necessary. It’s encouragement that there are brighter days to come and it’s a commitment from our first responders and government that we are here to help keep you safe.”
Twitter: @TelyRosie
