4 Friday, September 11, 2020 brooklintowncrier.com A Special 50th Birthday Meet Bob. Bob lives on Vipond Road. Everyone knows him as he waves and says hi to people going by, whether they're walking, running, skateboarding, cycling or driving. He's helped with various renovations and small projects at Brooklin's Renaissance Baptist Church. He's even helped neighbours with many tasks including sodding and painting. His previous two bikes were stolen and vandalized, and so neighbours and friends thought they would make his upcoming birthday a special one. For his 50th on August 22, 13 local families along with Pastor John and church parishioners collected enough to buy Bob a new bike from Cycle Life in Port Perry. Extra donations allowed them to purchase front and back lights, a lock and a bell, a backpack, and a jacket, accessories provided by D'Ornellas Bike Shop in Scarborough. To say the least, he was surprised and overwhelmed with the daylong celebration and visits from neighbours, with even the #302 bus drivers honking birthday greetings. The sad footnote to the story is that his mother, with whom he lived along with his sister, had fallen quite ill and was actually in the hospital on the day of his birthday. She returned home shortly thereafter and passed away.