‘They’re kids, they deserve everything’: Ajax realtor recognizes 2020 graduates with lawn signs

Like so many other things, graduation season has been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But an Ajax realtor has decided to mark the accomplishment of the class of 2020 with a gesture for the community to see.

Nicole Bafaro came up with lawn signs for the graduates.

“Those kids left March break not realizing they wouldn’t be going back, they look forward to grad all year and it was a little something we could do to say, ‘Hey, we see you, we celebrate you and we’re proud of you,'” said Bafaro.

At first, Bafaro thought she would receive 50 to 75 requests but that number quickly grew to more than 400.

Over the past several days, Bafaro and her team have dropped off the signs.

“The smiles on the kids’ faces and the surprise and the happiness, that’s what it’s all about. We need to bring smiles to these kids’ faces because it’s been rough on them,” said Bafaro.

One of the reasons Bafaro wanted to acknowledge the closing of a chapter for so many is that her niece Kaylen was supposed to be having her prom Friday night and walking the stage later this month.

“I didn’t know anything about the sign. I walked out and saw it and was like, this is really good because it shows support to Grade 12s as well as the community that although we’re in a pandemic, people still care a lot about us and what we’re going through,” said Kaylen Gagnon.

Bafaro says the acknowledgment is well deserved.

“They’re kids, they deserve everything,” said Bafaro.

Ben Prescott, who is also graduating high school this year, feels like he’s missing out.

He knows he won’t get to experience the type of celebration he sees in movies.

“It just kind of sucks. Oh well, nothing you can do about it. Just move on. Just look to what’s next after all this passes by,” said Prescott.

And his mom, Sheri, says parents are also feeling the void.

“We were going to have a big family barbecue. It was going to be a blast. This is my firstborn out of three kids, so I was looking forward to all the firsts and so the parents are missing out on this milestone, too. The sign is a nice way to say, ‘Hey, we do have a graduate here,'” said Sheri Prescott.

While she’s already delivered hundreds of the signs, Bafaro says she keeps getting calls for more, and she’s already ordered an additional 50.