A school bus driver has become a national hero after he purchased hats and gloves for local children — a kind act he initiated after noticing that a small boy who didn’t have a hat or gloves was in tears when he got on the bus.
John Lunceford, 52, who drives a bus for the Kennewick School District in Washington, gave the child his own gloves, told him everything would be okay — and then later went out to buy winter gear for children in need, the Daily Mail reported.
“His ears were red and his hands were pink,” Lunceford told InsideEdition.com. “I took my work gloves off and put them on his hands and he cried all the way to school.”
The bus driver, a grandfather himself, ended up purchasing 10 hats and 10 pairs of gloves, with plans to give them out to any local students who needed them.
First, he worked with the local school to track down the teary-eyed little boy, whom he gave a hat and some gloves; he said he’s not sure why the child was without winter gear that day, but suggested perhaps he forgot to bring the items to school.
Then, Lunceford proceeded to tell other children that he could help them with a hat and gloves if they needed them, as temperatures have been quite low in the region.
The bus driver’s kind act has since gone viral, making Lunceford a hero. But the Army veteran said it really isn’t a big deal and that he was simply trying to do the right thing, calling himself an “old softie.”
“It’s not that big of a deal. I just did a nice thing for a kid,” he told InsideEdition.com. ‘I wasn’t doing it for popularity. I did it because it was the right thing to do. That’s the way I was raised.”
In the end, Lunceford said “kids can’t fend for themselves” and that it’s up to adults to help them out.
The story started to spread after Kennewick School District posted a message on its Facebook page on Sunday, acknowledging Lunceford’s good dead, and explaining why the bus driver got involved to help local students.
“Our staff members have big hearts and on Thursday one bus driver acted on his when he saw a student in need,” the post read, going on to let locals know that staff members are happy to help any kids in need. “Our staff are always willing to help families find any items they need.”
(H/T: Daily Mail)
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