It’s not everyday that we hear of people who reach 100 years old. Those who do, however, are the luckiest of all, and one World War II veteran named Benny Ficeto is definitely one of the most fortunate people there are. Not only because he got to live that many years, but also because he’s surrounded with people who love him unconditionally and make sure they remind him how grateful they are for his service every single day.
What is unusual about this special man is that he only retired from his job when the pandemic started. Up until then, he was going to work every single day. Before turning 90, Benny worked at a Stop & Shop in Bloomingdale, New Jersey. He then moved to Edison, New Jersey, for his last ten years of work.
“Working at my age gives you purpose,” Benny said, according to his nephew Daniel Reynolds who spoke to Fox News about his uncle.
Stop & Shop organized a birthday party and a parade for Benny to mark his milestone. There was food, music, and a number of people there. Benny’s co-workers, family members, and even customers gathered together to celebrate the special occasion.
“Always enjoyed seeing Benny when he worked in the Bloomfield store…always upbeat and helpful….I could always leave the store smiling if he was bagging for me,” one customer wrote on the shop’s post dedicated to Bartholomeo Benny Ficeto, whom everyone knows as Benny the Bagger.
“People would wait in line even if there was an open register, they would wait because they wanted Benny to bag their groceries,” the store’s spokesperson Stefanie Shuman confirmed.
Besides the party, the place had a special surprise for one of their most hard-working employees. Namely, in Benny’s honor, they designated a parking spot as veterans-only and dubbed it “Benny’s Spot.” What a thoughtful thing to do for someone who has dedicated a great part of his life serving the country and its people.
“It says in honor of Benny for his service to the store and his country,” Shuman said. “He knew the day was for him. Every day should be for him in my opinion.”
In fact, this isn’t the first time for Stop & Shop to organize a party for Benny. They have done beautiful things for him in the past. For his 98th birthday, they congratulated Benny through a number of media outlets. When he turned 99, the place organized a drive-by birthday parade.
The store is looking forward to Benny’s 101st birthday. “He’s still part of this family and we will continue to celebrate him,” Shuman added.
Happy birthday, Benny, and many more to come!