A double celebration

Event marks Valencia football player’s birthday, cancer-free status

It was a longer and harder year for Pedro Roman, a Valencia High School football player diagnosed with leukemia late last year. But he was able to cap 2020 off with a new lease on life, and a visit from his friends and community members driving by Saturday to celebrate his 17th birthday.

With everyone having previously met at the rendezvous point in the Albertson’s parking lot nearby, a procession of fire engines, law enforcement vehicles, and cars driven by teammates and classmates, the parade was enjoyed by members of the Roman family, who were standing on a sidewalk in Central Park.

As the parade drove past, classmates handed the young Viking gifts and balloons, and waved

posters with his name on them. Roman was shouting and pointing to his friends — while his mom and dad and the rest of his family cheered, clapped and thanked people.

“The goal today is to make him smile and to see people because he hasn’t been able to visit with anybody,” said Alana Altmayer, a family friend who organized the event. “His family was outside of the hospital looking through a window.”

Altmayer said that, for the past few months, Roman had been receiving regular rounds of chemotherapy to battle the cancer. But just over a week ago, after a treatment where doctors worked to remove all of his cancer cells, a biopsy returned showing that Roman was cancer-free.

“He hasn’t been able to do anything in the last year, because he’s been fighting for his life and he’s been sick,” said Altmayer. “So now that he can be outside, I just want him to be able to see people. I mean, today is his birthday.”

Roman said he was completely surprised by the parade and enjoyed seeing his friends. His mother and father expressed a similar sentiment.

“It was mostly all of my high

He’s been fighting for his life ... I just want him to be able to see people.”

Alana Altmayer, family friend who organized event

school friends, but there were also a lot of people that I didn’t know,” said Roman, who then laughed. When asked what he was going to do with his free time now that he was out of the hospital, Roman responded, “I do have free time to work out, get better and keep the ball rolling.”

Dan Watson/ The Signal Valencia High School football player Pedro Roman, right, and his family wave to passing vehicles during a surprise drive-thru event at Central Park on Saturday, celebrating Roman’s 17th birthday and the news that he is cancer-free.

Dan Watson/ The Signal (Above) Fire and law enforcement vehicles parade through the parking lot Saturday at Central Park to surprise Valencia High football player Pedro Roman in celebration of his 17th birthday and doctors’ declaration that he is cancer-free. (Top right) Carmello Colon, right, accepts a birthday sign from Julia Luenga, 16, a classmate of his grandson Pedro. (Bottom right) A 1980s DeLorean — with its gullwing doors open — joins dozens of vehicles in the celebration. (Below) Well-wishers hold up a happy birthday sign during Saturday’s celebratory parade.