LADUE, Mo. — You could hear the honks in a Ladue neighborhood, but there was no traffic jam. This was how friends threw a proper birthday party in the age of social distancing.
Birthday boy Ted McDonald turned 82 and was surprised by a parade outside his home.
"All of a sudden, coming up the street, were these cars in procession, all decorated," McDonald said. "With lights on, horns honking, people waving. As they got closer, I recognized them all."
His coworkers from Gatewood Wealth Solutions, where Ted is an analyst, organized the drive-by celebration.
"They passed right in front of me, threw gifts right out of the window through their cars," he said.
Birthday parades are happening all over the country, as traditional birthday parties are canceled due to COVID-19.
"It was also emotional," McDonald said. "Being sort of isolated from office and office activities, it was emotional to see them. They're all such really good friends, really supportive."
A birthday parade is one way to show kindness during this difficult time.
Here's another.
St. Charles Christian Church in New Town started a pinwheel garden to bring some joy to the neighborhood.
"We're all concerned," Susie Pundmann from St. Charles Christian Church said. "We're all confused. We're all pretty sick of being cooped up together. We're trying to show the kids there are things you can do right now to make things better. I'm going to show you what we've done. Look at that, it's a pinwheel garden. We've gone through 300 pinwheels that we've put out in front of the church that we've encouraged others to take back to their homes."
From Ladue to New Town, people everywhere are proving that a little kindness goes a long way.
If you know someone going above and beyond to show kindness, let us know on the KSDK News Facebook page.
More Show Me Kindness
- Show Me Kindness: Woman sings from her balcony and front porch family photos
- Show Me Kindness: Connecting through virtual school lunches
- Show Me Kindness: Donating masks and discounted meals for healthcare workers
- Show Me Kindness: A woman sings on her balcony, an encouraging sign and playing games through windows
