A community celebrated the 90th birthday of one of its residents with a parade of honking cars.
As social distancing measures continue, neighbours in Kingston Township, Pennsylvania, turned out to celebrate the birthday of professional trumpet player Bobby Baird from the safety of their cars.
In addition to honking and waving, neighbours driving by the home of Baird, an award-winning trumpeter who has played for presidents, also brought balloons, signs and artificial cake.
One neighbour played the trumpet for Baird from a safe distance, while a younger neighbour played the instrument from the trunk of a car.
“I tried to count the cars and I lost track. I really did. But this is great,” Baird told WBRE, adding that he was going to tear up thinking about the celebration.
“We have such great neighbours and, I’m going to tear up here but I don’t care. Kids, an old man cries once in a while,” Baird said.
According to his neighbours, the opportunity to celebrate Baird turning 90 was an “opportunity of a lifetime”.
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime. And it’s also friends take care of friends, pandemic or not. You show up,” Baird’s friend Al Blannett told the outlet.
And despite his age, Baird’s trumpet-playing days are far from over. In addition to regularly performing with Scranton-based Doug Smith’s Dixieland All-Stars, the 90-year-old hopes to accomplish one more thing during his lifetime - becoming admitted to the Guinness Book of World Records as the “oldest trumpet player still playing”.
In honour of his birthday, and all those who showed up to celebrate, Baird made sure to play his trumpet for his audience while standing on his porch alongside his wife.
