It’s not every day you turn 100 years old.
For Peter Zagara of Toms River, New Jersey, the incredible milestone came on April 13 amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, so a big celebration was out of the question – or so he thought. Fortunately, his friends and relatives would do anything to make him happy, especially PJ Franovic, his grandson.
Instagram
PJ knew how much this birthday meant to his “pop,” so he was determined to make it special. After recruiting his wife Theresa and his sister Stefanie, he got to work organizing a big surprise.
The day before the World War II veteran’s birthday, PJ invited him outside, where the sweetest gift was about to arrive.
“It’s your birthday, Pop, and you’re turning 100,” PJ said. “We gotta make sure that you had a party with the right amount of people for it. So we’ve got some people driving down!”
Facebook
As soon as Pop saw the police cars driving toward them with their sirens blaring and their lights flashing, shock and delight washed over his face. They were just the beginning of a street parade set to his favorite song, Frank Sinatra’s “Come Fly With Me.”
Facebook
Behind the cruisers were friends, family members, and even firefighters! Some held signs while others honked, but everyone was cheering their heart out for the beloved centenarian.
“When you turn 100, not even coronavirus should stop the celebration. We all love this man too much to let a tiny little global pandemic get in the way,” PJ wrote on Instagram. “Happy Birthday, Poppa! What an incredible life you’ve had so far and hopefully many more years to go.”
Facebook
The beautiful gesture brought Pop to tears! Not to mention, PJ had to remind him to keep his distance because Pop tried to express his love and gratitude by giving his grandson a hug.
Facebook
Happy belated birthday, Pop! This wasn’t the party you pictured, but it clearly meant the world to you. Here’s hoping you get to hug your grandson and the rest of your loved ones very soon.
See Pop’s heartwarming reaction to his birthday present in the video below, and share this story to congratulate him. For more love and joy, check out the Coronavirus Good News Dashboard.
Share your story & inspire the world.
If you have an uplifting story we would love to hear about it! Share it with us here.
Want to be happier in just 5 minutes a day? Sign up for Morning Smile and join over 455,000+ people who start each day with good news.