A UPS driver in Virginia got an emotional thank you recently from more than 100 people who consider him a hero.
“Anthony Gaskins was moved to tears when members of a community in Chesterfield County banded together to thank him for his reported record number of daily deliveries – over 180 – during the coronavirus crisis,” Fox 4 reported.
Hallsley neighbor Patty Friedman said she initially wanted to thank the UPS worker for making her feel welcome after moving into the area not long ago.
“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,” she explained.
Friedman and her neighbors eventually came up with a plan to recognize Gaskins by lining up on the community’s main road to wait for him to appear.
People arrived on bikes, on foot, and in more than 75 vehicles to show their hero deliveryman how much he means to them.
Lexi Hanrahan Photography shared a photo of Gaskins wiping away a tear while community members held signs that read “Hallsley Loves You Anthony”:
“A humble man, he needed to be coaxed, but eventually, slowly drove his truck down the road while children and adults held up signs, screamed his name, honked their horns, and rang bells,” Friedman wrote in a Facebook post.
She added that Gaskins was moved by the gesture and once he offered a few words, he went back to work.
“He makes you feel like a friend when you see him,” one neighbor said of the UPS worker who is always smiling.
“He brightens our day, whenever he drops off a package, which is frequently at our house! He stands out from ALL other delivery drivers and we love him! Cheers to Anthony!” the person concluded.