In April, Tony Pottorff missed more than a couple chemo treatments for Stage 4 breast cancer because of a low blood platelet count.
With the COVID-19 pandemic and schools being closed amid eLearning, he also missed his students and peers at Columbus East High School, where he teaches social studies. Students and faculty missed him, too — and wanted to brighten his spirits over his latest medical rescheduling due to the pandemic.
So they surprised him by staging a 49-car, horn-honking, well-wishing extravaganza Friday along his street on Taylor Road in Columbus. Teachers Julie Hult, who lives just around the corner from the Pottorffs, and Michelle Burnett, organized the drive-by.
“It really did provide a huge boost,” the 48-year-old Pottorff said.
It really did provide some huge curiosity for him, too — especially when he noticed that wife Margie asked him more than once if he would be around by early afternoon that day.
“I thought something was a little fishy there,” he said with a laugh.
Columbus Police Department School Resource Officer Julie Quesenbery led the lineup in her patrol car with the lights flashing nearly as bright as Pottorff’s smile as he stood in a T-shirt and sweats waving to motorists from his front yard.
“It gave people something tangible that we could do for him,” Hult said. ” … And it was important for us to be able to rally around him.”
For more on this story, including more photos, see Thursday’s Republic.
