Leap year babies mark birthdays in Corner Brook

Rick Ash and Aiden Bennett don't look their age.

Ash is 14. Bennett is three. But that's only if you count their official birthdays.

• It's leap day: 5 things to know about Feb. 29
• Meet a Windsor family with 3 leap-year babies

Both are leap year babies, and on Monday, Feb. 29 they were guests of the Corner Brook Morning Show to celebrate.

"When people ask me what my date of birth is, they're somewhat taken aback because there's not too many that have their birthday on Feb.29," said Ash.

"I get, not made fun of, but people come around me and have a laugh," said Bennett, 12, a grade 6 student whousually blows out his candles on Feb. 28.

"We just pretend it's my birthday."

Ash, who's been around for 56 years, said he also marks his birthday on Feb. 28, but tries to do something special on a leap year.

It was a particularlybig deal when he became a 'teenager,'Ash said.

"When I actually turned 13, which was four years ago, I decided to make that one a bit of a special day, so I applied for and got approval for a day off," he said.

"I took that day off to adapt to that 13-year-old transition."

On one leap year, he said, his landlady held a three-day celebration to make up for the 'lost years.'