Kareem Bayoumy turned 17 in June, but his mother said he had never had a single friend show up to celebrate his birthday. So this month, the Willow Grove community set out to change that with a belated bash built entirely around him.
Kareem has Down syndrome and autism, according to Glenside Local, which reported that his mother said plainly, “Kareem has never had a friend come to his birthday.” The outlet reported that the CHERAB Circle of Friends organized an open-invite celebration for Kareem at Crestmont Park in Willow Grove, held Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., with Kareem as the guest of honor.
The gathering was designed to be more than cake and candles. Glenside Local reported the event featured live music, dancing, games, food and community participation, with organizers hoping a broad turnout would give Kareem the kind of birthday crowd he had never had before.
A Workplace Connection Helped Make It Happen
Kareem works at the Chick-fil-A in Willow Grove Mall, where he greets customers and offers refills, according to VISTA.Today. That job appears to have been a key thread connecting Kareem to the people who helped pull the celebration together. Per Glenside Local, his manager, Joe Tamasitis, worked with Abington Township to secure Crestmont Park for the event at no charge…