Pittston Aldi throws birthday party for littlest fan

PITTSTON — Heather, a local mom, and her daughter, Liliana, are regular shoppers at their favorite grocery store, Aldi, in Pittston. So much so, that for Liliana’s seventh birthday, her family partnered up with the store to throw her a surprise Aldi-themed party!

Heather Orth and her husband, Brian Orth, have a household of three kids; older sister, Madelynn; Liliana; and younger brother, Beau — plus a dog named Junior. Mom and Dad both graduated from Pittston Area and moved to Pittston from Shickshinny in 2022.

Heather says being Liliana’s mom is the best — she’s the sweetest girl! Liliana now attends Pittston Area has been excelling and exceeding her goals. She loves her family, and she loves to cook and bake with Mom every night.

Heather said Liliana was diagnosed with Autism in Dec. of 2020. She started receiving ABA Therapy in 2021 and is making great progress. In Sept. of 2022, Liliana got an AAC Device to help her better communicate, which Heather says has been a real game-changer for the family. She uses that now to convey her needs and ask for a quarter whenever they visit Aldi!

“With us moving to Pittston and the rise of grocery prices, we were going to Aldi more and more to save money,” said Mom, Heather Orth, in an email interview. “She eventually learned the quarter part of Aldi, and that quickly became one of her favorite parts. She now keeps a stash of quarters in the car by her seat.”

Liliana’s love for Aldi began when they started coming to the Pittston store on a regular basis. Not only were all the family’s favorite snacks there, but the employees really kept them coming back.

“The employees are always so accommodating and talk to her like they would talk to any other kid and being an Autism mom, that is all we want for our kiddos!” said Heather.

Liliana’s birthday is Feb. 28 and Heather began planning her a party, but she wasn’t sure what to do this year. “One day we went to Aldi, and I saw how excited she was, and I was like, ‘why not just make it an Aldi-themed party?’”

To bring her daughter’s dream to life, Heather reached out to Aldi on social media for help finding branded décor to make the party special, after not having much luck locating birthday decorations to fit the specific theme on her own.

“A few days after I messaged them, I went to the Aldi in Pittston with Lil. I stopped one of the employees and asked if they had an old sign or something that I could use to decorate,” said Heather. “She came out with an old sign they recently took down, and I was ecstatic. In that same trip, she came up to me while I was using the self-checkout with Lil and handed me an employee shirt to also give to Lil to wear at her party. I was so appreciative and almost cried with how kind they are!”

Heather didn’t think she’d hear back from the store, but to her delightful surprise, Aldi not only responded, but delivered. The team offered to not just provide decorations, but host the birthday party at their home store in Pittston.

“I was stunned and had to read it like six times to make sure I was reading it right. I was just asking where to purchase decorations. I did not expect them to provide the decorations and a party for her!” said Heather Orth.

Aldi took Heather’s party idea to the next level, hosting Liliana’s birthday party at the ALDI store in Pittston on Saturday, March 1. Aldi and the Orth family surprised her before the store opened, celebrating with custom Aldi decor, a cake, and a full breakfast spread featuring all of Liliana’s favorite foods from the store.

“She was so surprised. When we pulled up, she grabbed her quarter, grabbed the bags from the trunk and then also made us grab a shopping cart! She quickly left the cart in the entrance when she saw all the balloons and tables, and everything set up so perfectly for her!” said Heather. “She had the best time! She got to sit in the cashier’s chair and play cashier. They gave her a walkie-talkie and all!”

When it was time for cake, Liliana refused to leave the register, feeling right at home behind the counter. So, they brought the cake to her, putting it on the belt while everyone sang “Happy Birthday!” Once it was time to blow out the candles, Liliana hit the button to bring the cake up the conveyor belt to blow them out, right at the register. Heather said she loved every minute of that!

The Pittston Aldi team also gifted Liliana with Aldi toys and snacks, as well as goodie bags for her friends who were there to celebrate with her!

“This was such a special morning for Liliana! She loves shopping at Aldi, and as her mom, it means the world to see the employees welcome her with such kindness. Getting to celebrate her birthday in one of her favorite places, with some of her favorite people, is a memory our family will cherish forever.”

“It was more than I ever could have imagined,” said Heather Orth. “Aldi went all out for my girl, and I am so appreciative and grateful for all they did for Liliana and giving her the best party! They set the bar, and I am not sure how I am going to beat this party for years to come!”