Brick Police Bring Birthday Cheer To Kids In Coronavirus Outbreak

BRICK, NJ — For lots of kids, the impact of the outbreak of the new coronavirus has meant quieter birthday celebrations. There are no trips to Chuckie Cheese, no cupcakes with classmates, no big family parties.

Realizing how special birthday celebrations are, especially for kids, the Brick Township Police Department has been trying to fill the void by doing birthday shoutouts.

The shoutouts were started in late March by Sgt. Jim Kelly, who handled the department's social media and public communications duties. In posts on the department's Instagram account, Kelly and other officers address children by name. Some of the posts include a photo of the child receiving the wish.

Kelly said they have dished out 64 wishes so far, including three more on Thursday. You can watch it below.

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The efforts to wish kids a happy birthday don't always go smoothly. Kelly recently put together a blooper reel of outtakes and shared it on the police department's Facebook page.

"Since the hit of the #Coronavirus we've been doing #HappyBirthday #Shoutouts for kids 10 and younger on our Instagram page. Needless to say that we don't always get it on the first take. And we all know what happens once one person starts giggling," he wrote.

Families who would like to arrange for a birthday shoutout for children 10 or younger from the police department should contact Kelly by sending a direct message to the department's Instagram account. (P.S. Happy Birthday, Sgt. Kelly!)

Read more: NJ Coronavirus Updates: Here's What You Need To Know

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