BLAINE, Minn. — A couple dozen cars.
That’s what a mom in Blaine expected.
“Like 30, but nothing like this,” Amy Dement said.
Dement went on Facebook asking people to drive by and help her son celebrate his 11th birthday.
Gavin Pritzl has autism and has struggled the past few weeks with the changes that have broken his routine and kept him out of school.
On Tuesday night, the expected thirty vehicles turned into hundreds of cars, trucks and motorcycles that overwhelmed the Cub Foods parking lot where drivers rendezvoused before the parade.
As the crowd grew, the Blaine Police Department fielded scores of complaints about the size of the gathering while ‘stay at home’ is still in place.
“Hi everybody,” a Blaine police officer barked through a loudspeaker. “We're getting hundreds of complaints. We appreciate the great event, but we've got to mind some social distancing.”
The sentiment was not shared by people who came to the curb in Gavin’s neighborhood.
“No, I think this is absolutely amazing, he really deserves this,” Aleshia Lake said.
Gavin’s father thanked those who showed up.
“We can't be more appreciative for everyone who came out for Gavin's birthday right now, showing Gavin this much love,” Corey Pritzl said.
Unaware of the controversy, Gavin just knew he was experiencing something special.
“This is incomparable to all my other birthdays,” he said.
The social media-fueled event will now - no doubt - be debated there too.
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