When Ann Williams realized the pandemic lockdown would force her parents to cancel a 50th anniversary celebration they’d been planning for months, she was heartbroken. She couldn’t imagine anything she could do to make up for this disappointment, until she called a lawn sign rentals business in Woodridge.
“I could tell right away Ann was crushed her parents couldn’t have this big party, and I wanted to do whatever I could to help her mom and dad feel special and excited on such a major anniversary,” said Diane Moca, owner of Lawn Greeting Cards, which has seen a major spike in demand during the coronavirus crisis as people search for ways to celebrate birthdays, graduations and anniversaries without gathering in big groups.
Moca guided Williams through the process of choosing a personalized anniversary lawn sign display that was set up in the middle of the night while her parents were sleeping, so when they woke up in the morning they were surprised to find a yard full of hearts and a big sign declaring “Happy 50th Anniversary” that was visible to anyone driving down their street.
“They loved it,” declared Williams. “The weather was so beautiful, and they had their neighbors walking in front of their house all day wishing them a happy anniversary. It truly made their day! I can’t even begin to tell you how much it meant to them.”
When Moca got the call from Williams, she already had four other orders scheduled for that same day. A month earlier she would not have had enough message boards for a fifth display, but Moca’s decision to order extra supplies (after Gov. J.B. Pritzer shut down Illinois) enabled her husband to deliver a set of about 20 hearts and an A-frame message board to Lemont the night before Williams’ parents’ 50th anniversary.
Moca said she took the chance to pay for more lawn signs and hire drivers because more customers were suddenly calling and asking if Lawn Greeting Cards was sold out like other companies they had contacted.
“I didn’t want to let these people down. They were really sad about this unexpected lockdown and were desperate to find a way to make their friends and family feel special on their birthday,” said Moca, who recalls several moms literally crying on the phone when they realized Lawn Greeting Cards could deliver a special birthday display for one of their kids. “I spent hour after hour on the phone and sent dozens and dozens of emails to track down more supplies, which were on backorder and not easy to find in stock,” Moca explained.
She also said her customers are thrilled that she offers birthday lawn signs all over the Chicago metropolitan area rather than just a limited delivery zone. While her crew loves to deliver yard displays to nearby cities like Naperville and Downers Grove, Moca will send her husband and teenage children on deliveries anywhere from Wadsworth and Rockford to Hinckley and Manteno. She feels comforted in knowing the work is socially distant since her drivers pick up and set up their displays alone while everyone else is sleeping.
It’s all in the name of bringing some happiness to people feeling isolated and lonely during the pandemic. “I can’t help but get excited about every occasion people tell me about,” Moca revealed. “I’ve always been a person who makes a big deal out of birthdays and other events. So it’s natural for me to want every customer to make their loved one feel special, and what better way than waking up to a yard full of colorful signs!”
“I could tell right away Ann was crushed her parents couldn’t have this big party, and I wanted to do whatever I could to help her mom and dad feel special and excited on such a major anniversary,” said Diane Moca, owner of Lawn Greeting Cards, which has seen a major spike in demand during the coronavirus crisis as people search for ways to celebrate birthdays, graduations and anniversaries without gathering in big groups.
Moca guided Williams through the process of choosing a personalized anniversary lawn sign display that was set up in the middle of the night while her parents were sleeping, so when they woke up in the morning they were surprised to find a yard full of hearts and a big sign declaring “Happy 50th Anniversary” that was visible to anyone driving down their street.
“They loved it,” declared Williams. “The weather was so beautiful, and they had their neighbors walking in front of their house all day wishing them a happy anniversary. It truly made their day! I can’t even begin to tell you how much it meant to them.”
When Moca got the call from Williams, she already had four other orders scheduled for that same day. A month earlier she would not have had enough message boards for a fifth display, but Moca’s decision to order extra supplies (after Gov. J.B. Pritzer shut down Illinois) enabled her husband to deliver a set of about 20 hearts and an A-frame message board to Lemont the night before Williams’ parents’ 50th anniversary.
Moca said she took the chance to pay for more lawn signs and hire drivers because more customers were suddenly calling and asking if Lawn Greeting Cards was sold out like other companies they had contacted.
“I didn’t want to let these people down. They were really sad about this unexpected lockdown and were desperate to find a way to make their friends and family feel special on their birthday,” said Moca, who recalls several moms literally crying on the phone when they realized Lawn Greeting Cards could deliver a special birthday display for one of their kids. “I spent hour after hour on the phone and sent dozens and dozens of emails to track down more supplies, which were on backorder and not easy to find in stock,” Moca explained.
She also said her customers are thrilled that she offers birthday lawn signs all over the Chicago metropolitan area rather than just a limited delivery zone. While her crew loves to deliver yard displays to nearby cities like Naperville and Downers Grove, Moca will send her husband and teenage children on deliveries anywhere from Wadsworth and Rockford to Hinckley and Manteno. She feels comforted in knowing the work is socially distant since her drivers pick up and set up their displays alone while everyone else is sleeping.
It’s all in the name of bringing some happiness to people feeling isolated and lonely during the pandemic. “I can’t help but get excited about every occasion people tell me about,” Moca revealed. “I’ve always been a person who makes a big deal out of birthdays and other events. So it’s natural for me to want every customer to make their loved one feel special, and what better way than waking up to a yard full of colorful signs!”
