Strangers step up for 2 boys after no one shows for their birthday party

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG/Gray News) - A birthday party for two young brothers in Ohio could’ve gone sour after nobody showed up, but after a call out to the community, they were given a gift they will never forget.

Ronny Meyer’s sons, Niklaus and Kol, were celebrating their 4th and 6th birthdays Sunday at Diehl Park in Defiance. Everything was ready to go – until nobody on the guest list showed up.

“They wanted to do something with water and water balloons, so we decided to do something in the summer for both of them. We got a cake with both of their names on it,” Meyer told WTVG. “But then, there was a bunch of people that said they were going to show up but didn’t.”

It was a disappointing blow to the boys’ big day.

“It definitely hurt. Not so much on us, but it was more seeing how depressed and how much it hurt the boys,” Meyer said.

To try and salvage the day, Meyer’s wife, Lacey, began rallying the troops online. She made a post to a Defiance community group on Facebook, inviting people to come down to the park and enjoy food and cake with the family.

But the family didn’t expect what would happen next.

Dozens of complete strangers, including other area parents and their kids, as well as the Defiance Fire Department, answered the call.

“I was just blown away by it,” Meyer said. “The moment they saw the fire truck, they were beyond excited. There was someone that came out with a Spider-Man costume on, and Kol loves Spider-Man. It just made his day.”

The act of kindness and generosity from the community came to the rescue when the Meyer family needed it the most, giving the two brothers the birthday party of a lifetime.

“They’re still excited about it. They’re so surprised at how it all turned out,” Meyer said. “My wife and I were both in tears with it because it’s nothing like what we would’ve expected.”

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