Idaho Boy Invites Entire Special Needs Center to His Birthday Party
- A young volunteer in Coeur d’Alene asked to share his birthday with a local special needs center.
- His regular visits with his dad turned into a simple wish to include everyone.
- The party became a quiet moment of belonging with smiles, hugs, and cake.
Most kids think of birthday parties as a list of guests, cake, and presents, but Grant wanted something different this year. Instead of a small group of friends, he asked if everyone at the special needs recreation center could come. That small request grew into a full celebration of inclusion.
Grant spends time volunteering with his dad at SNR, a local recreation center for people with special needs in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Those visits are part of his routine and the reason many at the center knew him by name. The family has quietly made outreach and small acts of kindness a part of their weekends.
“It’s so important to get your children involved at a young age,” his father said. That simple instruction has guided their volunteer work and helped shape Grant’s thinking about fairness and friendship. For him, birthdays became a chance to turn the spotlight outward.
When his own birthday rolled around, Grant told his parents he wanted to invite everyone from SNR to the party. He explained his reason plainly and from the heart when asked why he wanted to include them. The answer landed with a clarity that made everyone pause.
“Because they don’t get invited to birthdays. Sometimes people don’t get as much love.”
The party itself was low-key but full of meaning: balloons, music, a homemade cake, and a room where no one felt invisible. Staff and families from the center mingled with Grant’s friends and neighbors, sharing applause for small wins like a shy guest finding the courage to dance. Photos and laughter from the afternoon kept showing up in messages for days afterward.
Watch the heartwarming video below:
Grant Mullen / CBS News
In a world that often rushes past quiet gestures, Grant’s choice is a reminder that compassion can be simple and contagious. The celebration didn’t need headlines to be meaningful; it needed people willing to show up for one another. For Coeur d’Alene neighbors, that was more than enough.
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