A simple birthday invitation posted in the Huntington Matters Community Forum brought friends, neighbors and local officials together to celebrate Gabriel Woods.
HUNTINGTON, NY – August 26, 2026
When Michelle Santill Perez posted in the Huntington Matters Community Forum asking if members of the community would stop by Heckscher Park to help celebrate her son Gabriel’s 17th birthday, she wasn’t sure what kind of response she would receive. Her original message was directed to “my special needs families & friends,” but the response quickly grew beyond what she expected. What had originally been planned as a small backyard party became a community celebration at Heckscher Park.
The heartwarming result came Saturday, August 22, when members of the community showed up to wish Gabriel a happy birthday and spend some time celebrating with him.
The party was hosted by Gabriel’s mom, Michelle, and dad, Peter Woods, who welcomed friends, neighbors and a whole bunch of people they were meeting for the first time.
Michelle had invited everyone to stop by, say hello and wish Gabriel a happy birthday. The party had a tie-dye theme, snacks and drinks, and a book for guests to sign with birthday greetings.
Among those who came out were New York State Assemblyman Steve Stern, Town of Huntington Chief of Staff Michelle McCarthy and her daughter Brigid, along with members of the Huntington community.
The group also happened to run into Town of Huntington Councilwoman Jen Hebert, who was walking through Heckscher Park and stopped to join the celebration and wish Gabriel a happy birthday.
Twinning With Assemblyman Stern
Assemblyman Stern came prepared for the tie-dye theme.
After hearing that Gabriel likes tie-dye, Stern brought two matching tie-dye shirts, one for Gabriel and one for himself.
The two spent part of the party “twinning” in their matching shirts.
The colors also had another connection for Stern. He attended Tulane University in New Orleans, and the brightly colored shirts were a nod to the festive colors and spirit associated with Mardi Gras and by all appearances, Gabriel approved!
Birthday Twins
Gabriel also discovered he had a birthday twin at the celebration.
Local teen Alyssa Gonzalez and Gabriel share the same birthday, although Gabriel does have Alyssa beat by one year.
Naturally, that made them the day’s honorary “birthday twins.”
Guests were encouraged to leave messages for Gabriel in a keepsake book commemorating the gathering. Alyssa, an artist, skipped the standard birthday message and instead added an original drawing for Gabriel.
Throughout the afternoon, Gabriel greeted well-wishers, posed for photos and had fun running laps around the park.
But the real story was how many people responded to a mother’s request.
“You Showed Up”
After the party, Michelle returned to the Huntington Matters Community Forum to thank everyone who had stopped by, helped set up, brought cards or gifts, or just spent some time with Gabriel.
“You don’t know me, yet you showed up,” she wrote. “You showed up because of kindness and togetherness.”
She said the acceptance and kindness her family received was “unmatched.”
After what Michelle described as a period of suffering and loss for Gabriel and their family, the gathering meant even more.
“It’s people like you who renew my faith in humanity,” she wrote.
So, it would appear to be true: sometimes showing up really is enough.
Photography by Dana E. Richter.
