Florida performer bikes 3,000 miles to surprise hundreds of friends with a song and dance

(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/Katie Whetsell)

published 22 June 2020

Billy Flanigan will travel any distance — by bike, no less — to spread cheer to his friends and colleagues.

Flanigan has been an entertainer at Walt Disney World for 38 years, and with the resort closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, he missed being able to sing and dance for people. While on a bike ride, he realized he was near a friend's house, and stopped by to say a socially distanced hello.

With that visit lifting both of their spirits, Flanigan thought that he should greet more of his friends and co-workers. What started as a quick hello has morphed into a "Flanigram," which involves a song and dance, personalized for each recipient. He rings the door bell, backs up, puts on his show, and then goes. "It's just a short visit, a little song, it's silly," he told the Orlando Sentinel. "But I love to make people smile. If I can brighten someone's day, I want to do it."

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Flanigan estimates he has visited about 265 people and logged more than 3,000 miles on his bike since the pandemic began. He has pedaled to see friends who live 90 miles away from his home, and also brought his bike on a road trip so he could surprise pals in California, Texas, and Arizona. "He's just the perfect example of how a little act of kindness can go a long way," friend Becky Roper said. Catherine Garcia

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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