Community Steps Up After Nobody Shows At Boys' Birthday Party

July 19, 2023

A local community rallied together to turn a disappointing situation into a memorable day for a pair of young boys whose birthday party was at risk of being a total letdown when none of the invited guests showed up.

community rallies for boys birthday
Credit: 13abc.com / WTVG

Niklaus and Kol were excited to celebrate their fourth and sixth birthdays on Sunday at Diehl Park in Defiance, Ohio.

But no one showed up.

"A bunch of people that said they were going to show up but didn't," the boys' father, Ronny Meyer told 13 Action News.

"It definitely hurt. Not so much on us but it was more seeing how depressed and how much it hurt the boys," Meyer said.

In a desperate attempt to salvage the day, Mom made a post to the "Current Events in Defiance, OH" community group on Facebook, inviting people to come down to the park and enjoy food and cake with the family.

She never expected what would happen next.

The Defiance Fire Department, Spiderman, and dozens of strangers arrived to celebrate the boys' birthdays.

"The moment they saw the firetruck... they were beyond excited," said Meyer. "There was someone that came out with a spiderman costume on and Cole loves spiderman. It just made his day."

In the end, what could have been a heartbreaking birthday turned into an unforgettable day.

"My wife and I were both in tears with it because it' nothing like what we would've expected," Meyer said.

Watch the good news video below.