A birthday party at Main Event in Norman was nearly ruined this past weekend when none of the invited guests showed up. So the business hosting the celebration made a call, and Cleveland County sheriff’s deputies and Norman police officers walked in instead to make sure the boy’s day wasn’t spoiled.
According to KOCO, Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office officials reported that the business hosting the party contacted them on Saturday after staff noticed the boy’s school friends were no-shows. Per a social media post from the agency, the business reported that none of the boy’s invited classmates had arrived. The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office sent three deputies to the party, and the Norman Police Department sent two officers to join them.
Facility staff at the entertainment complex on Mount Williams Way, which offers bowling, arcade games, and laser tag birthday packages, were the ones who noticed something was wrong and flagged it to law enforcement, according to a Facebook post from the sheriff’s office. Officials with the sheriff’s office said officers could not replace the presence of the boy’s peers, but the deputies and officers hoped their presence would remind the boy that he was valued and cared about. Together, they made sure the boy’s birthday party continued.
A Post That Struck a Chord
The sheriff’s office summed up the gesture simply in its social media post: “Sometimes, presence is the best present.” The post generated over 800 reactions and dozens of community comments within 14 hours, according to the same Facebook post, prompting local residents to offer gifts and organize playdates for the child…