FRONT-LINE HEROES
When school celebrations were canceled, these Klein women stepped up
A trio of Klein moms saves students’ canceled celebrations.
After high school classes moved online, social distancing put an end to many 2020 seniors’ plans: no end-of-school parties, award banquets, prom or college visits.
Tabitha Coon’s son Blake and his friends were among the 12th-graders at Klein Cain High School facing this “new normal.”
“The seniors lost so much,” Coon said. “And we feel so bad for them. These are things every senior looks forward to.”
She was determined to do something about it. So she called the parade brigade at Gleannloch Farms, a community in Klein. Heidi Kerley and Shelley Miles, who live in the neighborhood, had been organizing drive-by birthday parades since the beginning of the pandemic.
Coon, who lives in Conroe but teaches second-grade in Klein ISD, joined the effort, along with her children, to celebrate her current and former students.
It all started when Kerley’s best friend had to cancel her daughter’s birthday. “It was right after spring break,” Kerley recalled.
Kerley still wanted to do something. She asked her husband and kids to join her in the car, and they drove by her friend’s house. They stayed in the car and sang “Happy Birthday.”
Then, Kerley bumped into Miles at the grocery store. Miles’ daughter Kendi was about to celebrate her 13th birthday in quarantine. Kerley offered to do another drive-by birthday.
Miles phoned a couple of other friends to join in the fun. On Kendi’s special day, five cars, decorated for the occasion, paraded around the cul-de-sac, singing and throwing confetti.
Kendi was floored. “She kept thanking me and giving me hugs,” Miles said.
The next day, Miles created the Happy Birthday group on Facebook. “There’s no reason we can’t do this for other kids,” she thought. “This is affecting everyone.”
Before long, the group was assembling almost every day for birthday caravans. One of the neighbors Deepak Budhrani, who owns a Great American Cookie Company store, donated cookie cakes.
Volunteer firefighters offered to lead parades, when they weren’t on call, and a group of motorcycle enthusiasts joined to escort the cars.
“It’s become a thing now,” Miles said.
The parade was even invited to the Village at Gleannloch Farms assisted living community — first for Easter, and again for a Mother’s Day salute.
Kerley already had graduation on her mind as another way parades could bring joy to the neighborhood.
“I just think about how important those high school years were for me, especially senior year,” she said.
“They’re missing all of those moments — the parties, the awards, graduation and their sports. It breaks my heart.”
Miles agreed. “They’re not going to walk across the stage. We need to do something for them,” she said.
When Kerley saw an article about a small town that had posed about 50 seniors outside and let their parents and grandparents drive through to congratulate them, she thought, “We can do that here.”
Still, she knew it would be difficult: There are about 700 students in Gleannloch Farms.
Most of the students attend Klein Cain — the school’s first graduating class. Other students attend Klein and Klein Oak high schools, as well as private schools in the area.
Coon, Miles and Kerley brainstormed a way to make sure all of Gleannloch Farms’ graduates took part in the celebration.
They selected a stretch of road where students could stand, spaced 15 feet apart. Coon helped coordinate an order for signs for each student, displaying their photos and schools; Kerley and Miles picked up the signs, put them up the night before and picked them up after the event.
Home Depot donated canopies so students could stand in the shade, and H-E-B pitched in 60 cases of water.
The volunteers wanted the class of 2020 to have the best graduation possible — under the circumstances — when they celebrated on May 30.
“We want the kids to know their hard work is appreciated,” Coon said. “We want them to know that they have not been forgotten.”
“They’re missing all of those moments — the parties, the awards, graduation and their sports. It breaks my heart.”
Heidi Kerley