Coronavirus ruin your child’s birthday? These Florida cops have you covered
Did you have to cancel your child’s birthday party because of COVID-19? Are they struggling to understand why?
Coconut Creek police say they want to help. Instead of canceling the party, make it a birthday quarantine parade. You already have an RSVP: the Coconut Creek Police Department’s Birthday Responders team.
“Our police departments and first responders are gonna drive by your house — lights, sirens, loud speakers — and even dropping a little goodie bag at the end of the driveway to celebrate your child’s birthday,” said Joshua Rydell, vice mayor fo the Broward city.
Quarantine parades are just one of the many creative ideas people have had to celebrate special occasions during the time of COVID-19 — and it appears to be gaining traction in Florida.
Teachers in Lakeland held a quarantine parade to visit students stuck at home. A 13-year-old boy in Jupiter received handmade signs from his friends during his surprise birthday quarantine parade and the Miami Fire Department held an impromptu parade celebrating first responders through downtown Miami and Brickell.
The Broward Sheriff’s Office also recently participated in a surprise birthday quarantine parade for a six-year-old boy in Cooper City.
What’s leading this wave of quarantine parades?
For Coconut Creek, Rydell said it’s the police department’s way of helping children celebrate their special day while also keeping the community safe from the possible spread of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
And the best part for busy parents juggling a job and their child’s schoolwork?
All you have to do is send the Birthday Responders an email.
Here’s how it works:
Email birthday@coconutcreek.net and let them know your child’s birthday is coming up. Someone from Coconut Creek police’s community division department will contact you to schedule the birthday quarantine parade. Then all you have to do is make sure your child’s outside when the time comes.
You might also want to clean out your phone’s camera roll beforehand — you’ll have lots of photos and videos to take.
The Birthday Responders participated in their first parade Tuesday and say they will be scheduling birthday quarantine parades at least through the end of the month.
