A reminder that there is still good in the world.
A Virginia community honored their local UPS driver with a parade, USA Today reports.
Anthony Gaskin has been the UPS driver in Hallsley, Virginia, for the last five years. Gaskin was still considered essential when the pandemic hit and continued delivering packages to the community day in and day out. According to ABC News, Gaskin has been delivering packages for 16 years in Chester County, VA, often delivering nearly 200 packages a day.
With everyone quarantined, residents began to realize just how much Gaskin does for the community and decided to organize a surprise parade in his honor just in time for the holidays.
“He kept being an uplifting, positive, warm, and caring part of our lives, without even walking in our doors. Anthony was a constant. He made things feel more normal,” resident Patty Friedman said.
Cars lined the streets of Hallsley in preparation for Gaskin, and as he finished his route, he drove up right into his parade. More than 100 residents stood outside, cheering and honking their horns, honoring their very own hometown hero.
Photo Courtesy of Lexi Hanrahan/ABC News
“Anthony makes you feel like you’re his favorite customer. He makes you feel like you’re the only person he’s serving. That is a massive gift to be able to give to somebody, and it’s something that you, as the giver, probably really don’t recognize because it’s just who you are,” Friedman told USA Today.
Photo Courtesy of Lexi Hanrahan/ABC News
“I wasn’t quite sure what was going on at first. It felt like my heart was going to jump out of my body. To tell you the truth, I’m not used to that kind of attention. So it was a total surprise. I was in shock. My heart was overjoyed. During the holiday season and during this pandemic, I like to remind everybody that a lot of people out here are a lot less fortunate than we are. Reach out and try to help somebody else during this holiday season. In the world, regardless of what’s going on…people still genuinely care,” Gaskin said.
Photo Courtesy of Lexi Hanrahan/ABC News
Thank you for all you do, Mr. Gaskin!