Hundreds of neighbors in a Chester County, Virginia came out to pay tribute to their beloved UPS man this holiday season, moving him to tears as they stood outside to cheer him along his route.
Anthony Gaskin has been a UPS driver for 16 years, and the residents he delivers to say he’s the best — and they have been especially grateful for him during the pandemic.
So before the year was through, one resident decided to organize a parade along his route, inviting others to come outside, wave signs, and thank him for doing such a crucial job with a warm smile.
Give him a hand! Anthony Gaskin has been a UPS driver for 16 years. On December 15, hundreds lined the streets along his route in Chester County to applaud him
Photos show him moved to tears by the gesture and waving back to the people along his route
Resident Patty Friedman explained to Good Morning America that it was her idea to express her gratitude to Anthony, and she wanted to give others the chance to do the same.
‘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,’ she said.
She figured she would get ‘a few people’ to surprise him along his route.
‘I wanted to thank him personally for how much he helped me feel welcome when I moved in during a pandemic,’ she told Fox 13.
‘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.’
Resident Patty Friedman (not pictured) said he has been an ‘uplifting’ part of locals’ lives during a ‘lonely’ pandemic and they wanted to show gratitude
Other residents say he is a bright spot and ‘sometimes … the only outside face we see during the day’
Patty sent a note to her neighbors inviting them to participate, and many responded. On December 15, hundreds turned up along Anthony’s route, applauding, cheering, honking horns, and holding up signs.
‘I wasn’t quite sure what was going on at first,’ Anthony said. ‘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.’
Photos show him moved to tears by the gesture and waving back to the people along his route.
‘He needed to be coaxed,’ Patty said, ‘but eventually, slowly, [he] drove his truck down the road while children and adults held up signs, screamed his name, honked their horns, and rang bells.’
They all turned up to show their appreciation, particularly during such a crazy year
Anthony’s supervisors even came to surprise him with a gift basket, as well as a framed photo with some kinds words from residents
‘Sometimes he is the only outside face we see during the day. We appreciate his hard work and dedication during the pandemic,’ said one person on his route
Anthony’s supervisors even came to surprise him with a gift basket, as well as a framed photo with some kinds words from residents.
‘It really stands out when you recognize the risk that he put himself through, the fact that the volume of boxes he was delivering was more at a holiday level. It was [to show] gratitude and appreciation for simple acts of kindness on his part,’ Patty said.
Other neighbors have also shared kind words with Fox 13, with one saying that Anthony ‘always delivers our packages with a wave and a smile’.
‘Sometimes he is the only outside face we see during the day. We appreciate his hard work and dedication during the pandemic, which delivered food, supplies, and even holiday gifts to a high-risk family,’ the resident said.
‘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!’ said another.