It was a birthday party, only the guest of honor was not there. He was on the minds of everyone who attended, however, from shirts with his photo on it, to a cowboy motif, to his friends and family being there. This was Dylan Moore Day and the man who pushed for this day to honor the boy who died on July 26 after a battle with a rare blood disorder was pleased. “It tickles me to see kids running around,” said Anthony Finney at the American Legion building Friday. “Really, this is what it’s all about. It’s a birthday party for Dylan.” Finney used the social networking website Facebook to draw attention to his belief there should be a day honoring the 8-year-old. Today there are 1,146 members of that page. The strapping Finney said there will always be a place in his heart for the youngster who touched his life although he never knew him. “Dylan’s impact on me is something I’ll carry for the rest of my life.” He said just by seeing photos of the boy he learned that while life ends for all, it doesn’t mean you go around moping. “He helped me to hold my chin up and keep my head forward.” To rally for the day, Finney said, was special for him. “It’s something I have personally done to make a difference the way he made a difference for me.” Paula Elias, who served as the master of ceremonies for the event, called Dylan “a strong little cowboy.” Roanoke Rapids Mayor D.N. Beale, who read the proclamation city council approved last month, told the audience, “Sometimes our plans don’t coincide with God’s plans. God knew what he was doing. He knew it was time for Dylan to come sit by his right side.” Louise Bailey, the mayor pro-tem of Gaston, where the Moore family lives, also read a proclamation from her town. “Today is a special day for all of us,” she said, recalling serving with the boy’s father, Peanut, on what was then the Gaston Volunteer Rescue Squad. “We were all saddened by his passing.”