An 87-year-old man has plans to party at his house until the cops show up on the Saturday after Valentine’s Day, and he invited his neighbors to join.
Michelle Hernandez had recently moved to Bucks County, Pennsylvania and was working from home when her neighbor, Doug Turner, appeared on her doorstep.
“Hi, I’m Doug [Turner] across the street…I live over in that house there,” the kind gentleman can be heard saying in a video shared by Hernandez.
“This is an invite to a party I’m having on February 15. I didn’t want to leave it in the mailbox,” he added, before handing over a folded up piece of paper.
“I was cracking up. I just thought it was so sweet,” Hernandez told the Washington Post. “People don’t really do that anymore.”
Once inside she unfolded the paper. Underneath a snowflake drawing, the card read: “A Celebration of Winter. 4 p.m. until the cops arrive.”
“Food and drinks on offer. Bring only a smile,” the handwritten invite continued without any other details about what guests should expect.
Hernandez posted the ring camera footage of Turner knocking on her door on TikTok in mid-January. The video has since garnered over 1.7 million views.
The heartwarming interaction spawned thousands of comments from touched viewers begging Hernandez to attend.
“Okay, you have to go, no ifs, ands, or buts,” one person demanded, while another said: “Don’t disappoint him.”
Hernandez reassured her followers that she and her husband had every intention of attending Turner’s house party on February 15. “Don’t worry, we’re going,” she responded.
“I just wanna hug him so bad my heart is exploding,” one enamored viewer said.
A fourth wrote: “This is the most precious thing I’ve ever seen.”
Eager viewers rushed to follow Hernandez on TikTok and Instagram, hoping she’d come back with an update after the party.
“Following because I need to see what goes down on Feb 15 @ 4:00pm haha how lucky are you,” one person told her.
Hernandez later said she’s considering going live on TikTok so everyone can watch along in real time.
Speaking with the Washington Post, Turner, who’s lived in the same Bucks County neighborhood for 15 years, explained how he started throwing an annual winter party after his wife died three years ago.
“My wife is gone now, so it gives me something to keep me busy,” he said.
“I have lived in five countries and 16 states, and I’ve had more friends here than any other place,” Turner continued, noting that he and his late wife would regularly host their loved ones.
For Turner, human connection keeps him going. “I think maybe that’s why I’m still alive,” he said.
This year, he invited 24 people in total, including both old and new friends.
“I’m going to get these people in one room, and maybe they’ll get to know each other,” he said.
Turner’s 62-year-old daughter, Elizabeth Mackey, described him as “way more social” with “way more friends” than her.
“He doesn’t just sit around. He’s actively having people over for dinner, or he’s going to the theater or to lunch. He’s always out there,” Mackey said.
