CHICOPEE — Brandon Sullivan loves going to parades, especially the Holyoke St. Patrick’s Parade and according to his mother, Denise Sullivan, he’s always joked, “I want to have one come by our house.”
Denise Sullivan said Brandon has a developmental disability but a “savant-level” knowledge of every local parade. This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Holyoke parade was canceled, but on Saturday afternoon Brandon got his longtime wish, four days ahead of his 29th birthday.
From the front lawn of his home, he and his family watched a parade of vehicles that included pickup trucks, tow trucks, fire engines, muscle cars, antique cars, hot rods and even a Willys driven by Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Several of the cars paused to deliver birthday cards to Brandon, including many open-top vehicles carrying Colleens from the different cities and towns that would have been in this year’s Holyoke parade.
Chicopee Police spokesman Michael Wilk, whom Brandon knows as “Officer Mike,” stood at the foot of the Sullivans’ driveway to live-stream the event, which had an estimated 300 participants.
Still smiling after the nearly half-hour parade, Brandon said, “I loved it.”
Kevin Gutting can be reached at kgutting@gazettenet.com.