For many years, a woman named Shreevie Kenner in Evergreen, Colorado, has made it her mission to entertain children riding her bus with costumes and gifts.
She loves the children very much, so she has put off retirement, Kenner told KKTV this week.
A GoFundMe page set up for Kenner featured notes from people who knew her, one person writing, “Best bus driver and caregiver of children ever! All three of my kids absolutely love her.”
“Absolutely the best.. to drive a bus in the snow around here is certainly a challenge! All my kids love her (and the dog too!)” another said.
Kenner lost her only child at seven-years-old many years ago. Her little girl passed away following a battle with bone cancer.
“They take away that hurt from my daughter,” Kenner explained of the elementary students she drives.
She had been saving to visit a friend who retired to Hawaii, but Kenner’s husband died from the coronavirus and when mounting bills and funeral costs burned through her savings, she canceled her plans.
However, fellow bus driver Joan Cooper heard what happened and immediately knew it was up to her to remedy the situation, so she created the fundraiser to purchase her friend’s airfare.
As of Saturday afternoon, Cooper’s GoFundMe page had raised $2,685 of its $1,000 goal.
“I’m just overwhelmed because all these people just love me,” Kenner commented.
In an update on March 18, Cooper said “Ms Shreevie send a huge Thank You to all who so generously donated to her Hawaii trip,” adding she could not believe she would be on her way very soon.
A video shared on the page showed the bus driver wearing a Hawaiian shirt and blowing a kiss to everyone:
According to KKTV, her long-awaited vacation is scheduled for June.