Emma Ritson was supposed to celebrate her 21st birthday while studying abroad in Barcelona. But her plans, like millions of others, were upended by the coronavirus pandemic.
So on her birthday Friday, friends threw her a surprise birthday parade with some help from Simsbury firefighters, police, and the Department of Public Works.
One of Ritson's friends is a firefighter and helped get a group together to drive by her house, lights, sirens and all. More friends followed behind officials in their personal cars to wish her a happy birthday.
“It was awesome - I mean I started bawling when all my friends turned the corner. But it was really cool because there was the firetruck and there was a dump truck and really random Public Works cars and ambulance and all that stuff and then all my friends at the end made me feel really really special”, Ritson said.
She and her family agreed it was a wonderful way to celebrate, even if she couldn't be in Barcelona.
