Coronavirus: Florida couple gets surprise parade for 73rd wedding anniversary

NAPLES, Fla. — A Florida couple celebrated their 73rd anniversary Sunday, but because of the coronavirus pandemic, it was probably the most unusual party they have ever had.

>> Coronavirus: 3-year-old Minnesota girl gets parade on final day of chemo treatment

Joe Tenaglio and his wife, Yolanda, watched from the portico of the assisted living facility where they live as 20 cars and a motorcycle circled in front of them, with people waving and carrying signs to mark their big day, the Naples Daily News reported.

“Oh my God,” said Joe Tenaglio, 98, who was moved to tears. “I can’t get over it. I can’t believe it. It’s a total shock.”

“It’s wonderful,” 96-year-old Yolanda Tenaglio added. “It’s a real surprise.”

>> Coronavirus: Fleet of garbage trucks surprise girl, 3, with birthday parade

The Tenaglios began living at the Lely Palms facility in 2017 after the home they had lived in for three decades in the Riviera Colony subdivision was destroyed by Hurricane Irma, the Daily News reported.

>> Coronavirus checklist: 100-plus disinfectants that may kill coronavirus on surfaces

Friends from their former subdivision visited the Tenaglios regularly, but that was made more difficult when social distancing policies were instituted because of the pandemic. Friends still serenaded the couple and performed dances while the couple watched, but they wanted to do something special for their wedding anniversary, the newspaper reported.

“It’s hard because they can’t get very active when they’re still stuck in their room,” former neighbor Suzie Brackett told the Daily News.

>> Coronavirus symptoms: What you need to know

That is when residents hatched the plan to stage a parade.

“Our community has not forgotten how much they meant to our community and to us,” Cathy Davis, one of the organizers of the anniversary event, told the newspaper.

>> Coronavirus: Know the facts directly from the CDC

When the parade ended, cars parked and the Tenaglios’ friends stood across the drive from the couple, cheering and singing “Happy Anniversary.” Neighbors brought cupcakes, banana bread and brownies to celebrate.

>> Coronavirus: Can the government make you stay home if you are sick?

“I couldn’t believe what I saw today,” Joe Tenaglio told the Daily News. “It proved how many friends my dear wife and I have after 73 years. All those cars and traffic and dear friends I hadn’t seen in a long time. It was unreal. Unreal.”