WESTBOROUGH – In August 2025, a young girl arrived at Launch Entertainment in Westborough excited to celebrate her seventh birthday. But on the day of the party, no one showed up, even though she had invited her classmates.
What happened next turned a heartbreaking moment into a memory she and her family will never forget.
Brendan Gibbons, the 25-year-old general manager of Launch Westborough, gathered every available team member, brought them into the party room, and led the staff in singing “Happy Birthday.” Before the family left, the team surprised the 7-year-old with complimentary passes, making sure she left with a smile instead of tears.
“In moments like that, we try to make it as special as we can,” Gibbons said.
Over the following year, the family became regular visitors. She purchased a Summer Pass, giving her two hours of jump time each day throughout the summer, and quickly became a familiar face around the park. Along the way, she developed a special bond with the Launch team.
When her eighth birthday approached this past weekend, she knew exactly where she wanted to celebrate. Having built a relationship with the family, Gibbons also understood they were facing challenges and didn’t want the cost of a party to stand in the way of making the day memorable.
So the Launch team decided to celebrate with her.
Gibbons and his staff – many of them local high-school students – hosted the party themselves, providing pizza, drinks, party platters, arcade passes, and plenty of time on the trampolines. To make the day even more meaningful, employees brought a birthday gift.
“Everybody remembers their birthday,” Gibbons told the Community Advocate. “We want people to remember it as the time everybody showed up for them, not the other way around.”
For Gibbons, creating memorable experiences for families goes beyond operating a trampoline park.
Launch Westborough is managed by Momentum Enterprises, a Massachusetts-based company that believes every interaction is an opportunity to create good energy. The company calls those moments Smile-Watt Hours – the positive energy created through simple acts of kindness that brighten someone’s day and strengthen communities.
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Gibbons said that philosophy reflects the way he’s always tried to lead.
“It’s my belief that I’m here for other people – it’s how I was raised,” he said. “I want my staff to feel the same way. If we have the opportunity to put some good energy into the world, we’re going to do it.”
He added: “Whenever there’s an opportunity to make someone happy, I like to do it. Those are the moments that create the most Smile-Watt Hours.”
The celebration was about much more than pizza, presents, or jumping. It was about making sure one little girl felt seen, celebrated, and surrounded by people who cared.
“It was so satisfying,” Gibbons said. “There’s nothing I’m prouder to do.”
