By Suzie Ziegler
AUSTIN — Presley Rivera, who just turned 10, wasn’t looking forward to celebrating her birthday during the COVID-19 crisis – no friends, no party. Luckily, her local police department was there to save the day.
Presley’s mother, Faith, told KXAN that she wanted to do something different to make the day special. With the help of a neighbor, she reached out to the Austin Police Department and organized a drive-by birthday parade.
“We were told that Presley loves the police so this is very appropriate,” said Officer Andre Black said to KXAN. “What better way to connect with a child than to interact with her on her birthday.”
Officers drove by in police cruisers decorated with balloons and posters, singing ‘Happy Birthday.’
“Seeing the smile on her face was worth all the planning we had done to make this happen today,” Black said.
Presley said seeing officers show up to make her birthday special was one of her favorite parts of the day, according to KXAN.