Picton Metro’s heart-warming effort for four-year-old’s birthday delights community

Thanks to social media, an entire community feels like it celebrated a unique birthday party with a four-year-old and is applauding efforts made by Picton’s Metro grocery store to make the day memorable.

With thousands of views and positive comments racking in, Mom Hadas Brajtman had shared on Facebook, the “real feel good story” and photographs she experienced with birthday boy Lev, sister Lily and dad IIan, thanks to Picton Metro’s Paul Jones, assistant manager, and Murray Lupenette, store manager.

Mom tells the story:

Birthday boy Lev

A few months ago our three-year-old son began talking about having his upcoming birthday party at Metro. Yes, Metro the grocery store! He called it his “Metro Party” and was super excited about it.

We often shop at Metro Picton , it’s walking distance from our home, the staff is always friendly and we typically run into friends, colleagues, and neighbors while shopping.

So, when our son told us he really wanted to have his party there, it kind of made sense, and while we thought it was the cutest thing ever, we never considered it a real possibility. However, when assistant manager Paul caught wind of this, he decided he would take it upon himself to make our son’s dream come true.

With the support of Metro manager Murray, and the enthusiasm and creativity of the incredible staff, they worked hard to create an experiential, fun, action packed Metro Party!

Here is how it all went down Saturday, Jan. 21st, 11:30 a.m. at Metro, Picton AKA “Party Central”:

We walked into the store with our son and several of his little friends (and their equally stunned parents). Metro had printed Happy Birthday posters and placed them all around the store. This just set the tone and made us feel so welcomed!

Every kid got a Metro hat and their own name tag! Paul planned several experience points around the store that engaged the children, giving them a chance to partake in day-to-day store activities as well as some pretty out of the box ideas!

The kids were welcomed into the service desk, where they all sang Happy Birthday into the store PA

Paul led the kids to the back of the store, where they filled a cart full of produce, and came back out to help stock bananas.

The kids got a tour of the back fridges, freezers, they met the butcher, wear deli coats and even got to assist with some super cool tasks

A do it yourself pizza station was set up and the kids got to make their own pizza!

Another super cool “do it yourself” station was waiting for them at the bakery area, where the kids got to decorate their own cupcakes!!

Paul gave the kids a list and off they went to find the different items around the store, fill up the cart, and help ring the items through and bag them up ( the kids took this one really seriously).

The kids were invited upstairs where the staff break room was transformed to the coolest party room ever! Balloons, streamers, snack tables, drinks, pizzas, ice cream and cake! They even had Peppa Pig playing on the TV, and a staff member singing Happy Birthday to Lev over the PA system. Throughout that time, different staff members, Murray and Paul were there with us making sure everyone was happy and genuinely partaking in the fun experience with us.

The staff had prepared loot bags for the kids to take home. It had yummy snacks, stickers, puzzles, playdough, animal figurines, Metro shirt and, apron and more!

All this happened in 2 hours, and let me just say, it was everything! Metro knocked it our of the park!
We are grateful to Paul, Murray, and the rest of the Metro family for a truly remarkable experience. You were so incredibly generous with your time, resources, creativity and for going above and beyond to create an experience that we will all remember for the rest of our lives.

Beyond that, I want to note the fact that you didn’t brush off an idea that came your way, even though it had never been done before and even more so because it came from a three-year-old.

Grateful Brajtman family members Ilan, Lev, Lily and Hadas.

Thank you for listening, for demonstrating the true heart and soul of our community, and how impactful our business community is.

We also learned in this process that it’s important to ask, rather than assume the answer is no, and dare to engage in conversation and ideation, because you truly never know, and may be very pleasantly surprised.

I know I am inspired to take a page out of Paul’s book, and hope I can play a role in doing something similar for someone else in my own line of work.

Thank you to Paul, Murray, and the entire Metro family for hosting the inaugural Metro Party and giving our Son a birthday he will never forget.
– Hadas, Ilan, Lily and Lev