Washington couple celebrate anniversary with parade

WASHINGTON - The party was 25 years in the making but after the COVID-19 pandemic hit, John and Jan McDaniel had to cancel their anniversary celebration. Jan was feeling down about the situation until inspiration struck and the couple decided to have an anniversary parade instead.

'We had things planned for that whole week and then this pandemic and quarantine happened so I was feeling bad because we couldn't go out and eat and we couldn't do the things we had planned,” Jan said of the anniversary on April 29.

The couple, who reside at the United Presbyterian Home in Washington, subscribe to the home's weekly newsletter. Included in it was a request for anyone who could come up with an idea for an event that would spark joy during the difficult time, she said.

Looking for a way to celebrate anyway, the couple contacted a few people in administration and with their help decided to organize a parade for Friday, May 1. Jan wore her original dress, John his suit and friend Randy Fehr drove their convertible around the 35-acre campus while the two sat in the back, waving at friends who came out to celebrate with them.

'It was kind of a way to get out there since we can't socialize under these conditions,” she said. 'It was so much fun. People were banging on pots and pans and some had bells and there was a whistle and a lot of yelling.”

John estimated about 60 people came out to shout their congratulations and wave at the couple and many more stayed in their rooms, waving from windows. Although it wasn't the celebration Jan originally planned, it turned out to be one to remember.

'I was so depressed that we weren't going to be able to celebrate since it was a special anniversary. We came up with this and it was so much fun and we got such great feedback. It turned out to be a good one after all,” she said.