Brighten Your Day

Hundreds Of Neighbors Surprise UPS Driver With An Emotional 'Thank You'

December 20, 2020

A UPS driver went above-and-beyond this year, delivering nearly 200 packages a day through lockdowns and the flurry of the Holiday season.

This week, hundreds of neighbors came out to give him a hero's salute.

Credit: Lexi Hanrahan

Anthony Gaskin is a UPS driver in Chesterfield County, Virginia.

"Through COVID, Anthony has continued working, delivering packages at our doors, record numbers of them, over 180 times to date," Hallsley resident Patty Friedman wrote in an email. "I wanted to thank him personally for how much he helped me feel welcome when I moved in during a pandemic. 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."

That prompted Patty and her neighbors to come up with a way to show their appreciation for Gaskin.

It all came together on Tuesday, December 15.

"Arriving on bikes, on foot, and in more than 75 cars, hundreds of Hallsley residents lined the road and waited for Anthony to turn the corner," she wrote. "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."

Credit: Lexi Hanrahan

The gesture visibly moved Gaskin, who spoke briefly, thanked everyone, and then got back to work.

"Anthony always smiles, waves, and goes above and beyond to deliver packages with care," another neighbor wrote. "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! He stands out from ALL other delivery drivers and we love him! Cheers to Anthony!"