Brooke turns 10!

The weekend was full of celebrations. A drive by parade to celebrate one 10-year old's birthday was made a success with the help of the Thompson Falls community. Brooke Flemmer, who turned 10 this last weekend, wanted nothing more to throw a birthday party so she could spend the day with her family and friends. Unfortunately, due to social distancing rules, a birthday party couldn't happen this year.

Due to Brooke's special needs and compromised immune system, her mother, Colleen Knutson, along with the help of family and friends, were able to pull off a last-minute drive by birthday parade. "With social distancing, we couldn't do much," Knutson stated. "We wanted to do something where people could still interact."

Knutson said it was a last-minute kind of event, but everyone came together and made it happen. Along with around 15 cars who participated in the parade, the Thompson Falls emergency vehicles also lined up to wish Brooke a happy birthday.

Sanders County Sheriff's Deputy April Phillips helped organize the event. According to Phillips, fire trucks and emergency response vehicles from the rural fire hall and Thompson Falls were all present. "All of them showed up after getting a late notice text that morning from me. It was amazing," Phillips said.

The biggest reason for the birthday parade was because of Brooke's special needs and compromised immune system. Knutson exclaimed, "with this being her tenth birthday, we were super bummed we couldn't do anything." As family, friends, and emergency vehicles lined up to wish Brooke a happy birthday, some were even able to leave presents at the fence. "She really enjoyed being able to see all the people drive by," Knutson said.