UPS driver got confused when he saw a mob waiting for him on his usual route — it turned out to be a wholesome surprise

Many people contribute daily to keep our community functional. However, their hard work and tiring work schedules mostly go unnoticed or unappreciated. According to ABC News, a UPS delivery driver named Gregory Watkins had provided his service to the community for 30 long years. As of 2020, Watkins drove through the same route in Smithtown, Long Island for 13 years and the residents of the area grew familiar with him. To thank him for his service, the residents of the Smithtown community decided to plan a surprise for Watkins that might have become a core memory for him.

"I like what I do, and just being in that area and knowing so many people in that area just makes everything great for me," Watkins later told ABC News. Working as a UPS driver helped Watkins support his family, including four of his kids. He often picked up extra shifts to help his colleagues during the pandemic. When he started frequenting the Smithtown streets, the people in the area started noticing him. A local woman named Linda Muratore decided to gather some of her neighbors and plan the surprise for Watkins to thank him for his hard work. 

"During the pandemic, we noticed he was working later hours, six days a week, while we were all safe at home, and we just wanted to do something to say thank you," Muratore told WABC-TV, per the news outlet. "He always had a smile on his face. He'd go out of his way to be extra helpful, carrying extra packages. So, just being the person that he is and us knowing him for so long, we just wanted to do something to give back." One day Watkins was summoned to the street through a text message where he was told that somebody needed his help. When Watkins showed up and drove down his regular path, he noticed several cars lined up by the street and there was a little crowd waiting for him.

"I was thinking, 'Am I gonna be able to get my truck through?'" Watkins recalled. "So, as I started approaching, that's when everybody started putting up the signs and cheering. I was like, 'Oh my goodness. Is this for me?' And I was just blown away by the whole thing." Everyone who was there for Watkins cheered his name and held up signs to thank him for his service. "The feeling from everything was just like, I felt loved. I felt cared for. I just felt appreciated," Watkins said. "I was humbled by the whole situation. Just to think that they did that for me. It's an awesome feeling."

Watkins also got to chat with USA Today where he opened up about being loved by the locals who made sure he was comfortable during some of the harshest days when he had to work. "It's been a pleasure to be in the area. In the summertime, everybody's always running out to me with bottles of water, iced tea or you know, they always ask me, 'Can I get you anything?' I call them my Smithtown family," Watkins told USA Today, adding more about the surprise he got. "I was at a loss for words, I was just totally blown away. It was just amazing. I couldn't believe that they actually took the time to put something like that together for me."