A Saco bus driver’s special connection to his students was on full display Wednesday, as they took a detour from their route, to stop for a special surprise.
Like a well-oiled machine, bus driver Bruce Audie gets ready for his route, and he knows everyone along the way.
“The spirit, the love, that I see, that I feel, that I’m able to return, has been just a blessing,” Audie said.
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But after nearly half a decade, Bruce says he’s ready for the next adventure.
For five years, Bruce has teased the students about stopping at an ice cream stand along their route.
On Wednesday, he followed through.
“It just seemed appropriate that I fulfilled my promise,” Audie said.
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The caravan of kids was sprinkled with joy.
It was a feeling that goes both ways.
“The opportunity that I have to be exposed to these kids and these families everyday has been incredible,” Audie said.
[Bus driver shortage forces Maine school to cancel classes]
The sweet treats were made even sweeter, with a quarter of sales going back to Saco schools.
It was just a simple token of one bus driver’s reach.
“It’s such a blessing to have a great bus driver like that, the kids love him and he loves the kids,” said Julie Kramer of Garside’s Ice Cream.
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