Dad bombarded with birthday phone calls after sons prank him with billboard featuring his phone number

Hope Schreiber
·Writer


A father is receiving a plethora of birthday wishes from people from all over the world, including Germany and Africa — whether he likes it or not.

Chris Ferry of Linwood, N.J. doesn’t celebrate his birthday until March 16, but messages are still coming in early from strangers wishing him a great one thanks to his sons, who thought it would be hilarious to erect a billboard with his face and phone number.

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“Wish My dad Happy Birthday,” the billboard in Atlantic City, leading towards the casinos, reads. “Love, Your Sons.”

Ferry was, understandably, confused by the phone calls. “Saying ‘Nick? Nick who? You don’t know me, how do you know it’s my birthday?’ [They] saw it on a billboard,” he told CBS2.

His son, Mike, who paid for the billboard with his brother Chris, told the outlet, “I just wanted to wish him an extra-special birthday.”

The sons were inspired by a childhood prank they’d play on their dad at restaurants. “They would always tell the waiter, waitress it’s my birthday, even though it wasn’t,” Ferry explained.

After more than 15,000 messages and calls, Ferry was understandably overwhelmed by the joke, but he’s keeping a sense of humor over the situation.

“It was fun until this morning,” he said. “Then I wanted to kill them. But I’m going with it, having a good time.”

For some callers, the prank proved to be somewhat therapeutic.

“I’m getting things like, ‘My father’s birthday was March 16. He passed away. I’m contacting you in memory of him,'” Ferry shared.

Ferry plans on getting his sons back, but they aren’t too sure.

“I would love to see him try,” Mike said. “I just wanted to say I love my dad, I love my family, and I’m really glad he’s getting attention because he’s a great guy. He always puts others first, especially me and my brother.”

The billboard will remain in place until April 6.

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