UPS driver takes his regular route, not knowing residents are planning to ambush him
Like many delivery people who drive a regular route, UPS delivery drivers get to know the people who they bring packages too every day. And it would seem the people they se4rve come to know them as well. So, when one community noticed their UPS delivery driver’s dedication, they wanted to show their appreciation in a big way.
A dedicated delivery driver
Gregory Watkins, Sr. has been driving for UPS for over 30 years. For 13 of those years, he had been the regular delivery driver for the company’s route in Smithtown, New York, in Long Island. During that time, he had seen children born and had gotten to know many of his customers.
Like many in his line of work, he waved to everyone he saw along his route.
“As time went on and I got to know everyone—being on the route so long—you know. It became more and more of a pleasure to be in the area,” Watkins told USA Today.
Going out of his way during the pandemic
When the COVIC-19 pandemic struck, Watkins took it upon himself to work harder than ever. Deemed an essential employee, Watkins had been working extra shifts and long hours to help out his fellow delivery drivers and the community in which he had become a vital member.
Planning a surprise for Watkins
Unknown to Watkins, the neighborhood noticed his dedication and wanted to show him its appreciation. One of those neighbors, Linda Muratore, spoke of Watkins’ dedication and how much it meant to everybody, to WABC.
“During the pandemic, we noticed he was working later hours, six days a week, while we were all safe at home, and we just wanted to do something to say thank you,” Muratore said. “He always had a smile on his face. He’d go out of his way to be extra helpful, carrying extra packages. So, just being the person that he is and us knowing him for so long, we just wanted to do something to give back.”
It seemed Muratore wasn’t the only one who noticed Watkins’ dedication to the community. Others wanted to do something to show their appreciation as well. And so, a surprise was planned for Watkins.
On the day of the big surprise, Watkins was asked to drop by a street in the community. Unknown to him, many of the neighbors were waiting for him. At first, Watkins was a little concerned.
“I was thinking, ‘Am I gonna be able to get my truck through,’” Watkins told WABC. “So, as I started approaching, that’s when everybody started putting up the signs and cheering. I was like, ‘Oh my goodness. Is this for me?’ And I was just blown away by the whole thing.”
Showing Watkins their love and support
Community members lined the street, many holding signs, and flowers. It was their way of saying thank you to someone that they saw as a vital part of their community and all he had done for them.
“I felt loved. I felt cared for. I just felt appreciated,” Watkins described later. “I was humbled by the whole situation. Just to think that they did that for me… It’s an awesome feeling.”
For more on the community’s surprise celebration for Watkins, watch the video below.
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H/T: Spotlight Stories, ABC News