‘It was one of those wow moments’: Dozens of BSU football players serenade Boise family

A Boise family was delighted when dozens of Boise State University football players joined in to serenade them with “Happy Birthday” at a local restaurant on Friday evening.

Julie Flavin was celebrating her daughter Jennifer’s 39th birthday at Tucanos Brazilian Grill when Julie noticed half the restaurant was filled with football players. Julie, who moved to Meridian from Oregon in January, said she considered the team members local celebrities of some sort.

“I’ve never been to a (Boise State) game, but I know it’s a huge thing,” Julie said.

She wanted them to join in the family’s festivities.

“My daughter was like, ‘No, no, no. They won’t want to be bugged.’ But I thought, ‘What do I have to lose?’” Julie said.

So she tapped one of the men on the shoulder. She told him that their family was out celebrating Jennifer’s birthday. Would the team mind singing to her, Julie asked.

“These guys are so friendly and nice,” Julie said. “He got everyone’s attention and everybody was singing and clapping.”

Jennifer was seated with her back to a short partition, Julie said, so she hadn’t realized so many voices would be chiming in.

“She thought there were maybe 10 guys, but it was 150 people,” Julie estimated. “It was one of those ‘wow’ moments.”

Julie, still gushing on Saturday over the Broncos’ kindness, said her family was “over-the-top giddy” afterward.

“They’re such sweet boys,” she said. “And they were so genuinely willing to help.”

This story was originally published August 19, 2017 at 1:07 PM with the headline "‘It was one of those wow moments’: Dozens of BSU football players serenade Boise family."