A Feel Good Friday surprise for a man who makes 4th of July special for his neighborhood

EastIdahoNews.com is partnering with Ashley and Ashley Outlet of Idaho Falls to honor people in our community for Feel Good Friday. Every week, we surprise someone deserving of special recognition.

We received an email a few weeks ago about a man who makes a memorable 4th of July for his neighborhood. It said:

Robert makes the 4th of July a magical experience for our entire neighborhood. Living in Blue Ridge near Skyline High School, our neighborhood has a prime spot in a large grassy gully for watching the Melaleuca fireworks. For the past five years, Robert has taken it upon himself to turn this spot into a neighborhood festive gathering for everyone.

Starting at 7:30 p.m. each 4th of July, he sets up giant speakers, curates a family-friendly playlist, and has radios ready to tune into the Melaleuca broadcast on KLCE 97. But that’s just the beginning. He also sets up tables and hands out popcorn, Frosty’s, bottled water, handheld American flags, and red, white, and blue bead necklaces. As it gets dark, he brings out finger-lights for all the kids.

This year, around 400 people attended his “party.” To prepare, he starts popping popcorn around 2 p.m., ensuring there’s plenty for everyone. He makes 4-5 giant bags of popcorn, perfectly buttered and salted, and places them into red Solo cups for easy snacking. He’s like the 4th of July Santa, making sure everyone has a special, memorable night—all for free.

He does this out of pure joy and a genuine love for our community. No one asked him to do it, no one donates money — he just loves making the night special for everyone.

We decided to surprise Robert and thank him for what he’s done for his community. Check out the video in the player above!