THE HONOR GOES TO ...

@CBS6News  · TV Channel  - Richmond, Virginia

NOMINEE  - ANTHONY GASKIN

Even though his truck does not have sirens and his uniform does not offer added fire protection, Anthony Gaskin is considered a hero in the Hallsley neighborhood.

Gaskins is a driver for UPS and during the pandemic, his daily deliveries have been life-saving, both literally and figuratively, to the Midlothian neighbors.

"Through COVID, Anthony has continued working, delivering packages at our doors, record numbers of them, over 180 times to date," Hallsley neighbor Patty Friedman wrote in an email. "I wanted to thank him personally for how much he helped me feel welcome when I moved in during a pandemic. It was terribly lonely and he was always the highlight of my day. Mentioning this to a few people and the response I got was all I needed to know I was not alone."

That prompted Patty and her neighbor to come up with a way to show their appreciation for Gaskin.

It all came together on Tuesday, December 15.

"Arriving on bikes, on foot, and in more than 75 cars, hundreds of Hallsley residents lined the road and waited for Anthony to turn the corner," she wrote. "A humble man, he needed to be coaxed, but eventually, slowly drove his truck down the road while children and adults held up signs, screamed his name, honked their horns, and rang bells."

Gaskin's supervisors even showed up to present him with a gift.

The neighborhood gesture visibly moved Gaskin, who spoke briefly, thanked everyone, and then got back to work.

Lexi Hanrahan