They came for training and left with chicken sandwiches, but in the meantime were met with a lively atmosphere that was equal parts pep rally and motivational speech.
#The nearly 2,000 school bus drivers who work for Gwinnett County Public Schools attended a second annual appreciation event on Monday at Hebron Baptist Church, which was a joint partnership with the Rotary Club of Gwinnett, which donated Chick-fil-A box lunches. And it was the Rotary Club’s President, Marlon Allen, who had the crowd clapping and chanting, and even brought Associate Superintendent Frances Davis out of her chair.
#Allen peeled off a suit jacket and dress shirt to reveal a Cincinnati Reds shirt, the team he played in the minor leagues for, to show the drivers that they are the kind of people who make things happen, such as giving a child a coat.
#“You are the type of people who welcome 30 kids on a bus that are rowdy, and I know this because my kids ride the bus,” Allen said. “… You say it with a smile, that this will be the best day of our life and be the best day for these kids. You’re not sitting back waiting. You’re not sitting back wondering. You’re not watching things happen, but every single day of the year, you have commitment to make it happen.”
#Dave Dewolf, a third-year driver in the Meadowcreek cluster, noted Allen’s and Davis’ enthusiasm and how she “really pepped you up.”
#“It gets you motivated, it gets you in the mindset,” Dewolf said. “You say ‘Oh gosh, another meeting,’ but it gets you set and ready for the year. You’re pumped up.”
#The drivers heard from a host of district officials including Davis, Transportation Director Grant Reppert and Chief Operations Officer Danny Jardine. But it was Allen’s talk about teamwork, and the people in his life growing up with a love of baseball, that brought the most energy.
#Shirley Crear, who is entering her ninth year driving a school bus, this year in the Central Gwinnett and Collins Hill clusters, said she appreciates the welcome back to the training event each year. Crear said through the trophies, gift cards and other incentives, the district and community groups like the Rotary let the drivers know they do a good job.
#“That encouragement, we all need encouragement and we need to be recognized,” she said. “That’s what I like. They do recognize us for what we do every day, and that’s very important.”
#Hebron associate pastor Duke Forster said the church’s ministry philosophy is to be part of the community, and the partnership with the Rotary Club and Chick-fil-A allows them to recognize a group that is not usually noticed. About 40 church volunteers helped pass out box lunches and drinks after the event.
#“These people are the first people on the line, they’re the first people our children see, and our community, our Rotarians are here to say thanks for what they do and they matter,” Davis said of the bus drivers. “Those lives are precious lives that they transport day in and day out and we’ve got the finest teams of drivers. We just want to say thank you for what they do day in, day out.”
Davis said the district needs about 75 additional drivers to serve as backup drivers when others are sick or don’t show. She said the district has enough drivers for the first day of school on Monday. Davis even passed out her own cell phone to encourage referrals from current drivers, who receive a referral bonus similar to employees who refer teachers in critical needs areas.
#“I’ve got to give my phone to somebody to get all those texts,” she said with a laugh.
#Steve Turner, a bus driver supervisor in the Central Gwinnett cluster, said it was a morale boost for Davis and the other district leaders to speak to the drivers.
#“Let them know how important they are to Gwinnett County,” he said. “A lot of people don’t get that appreciation all the time, and they probably see things on the negative side. But whenever we can get them out here, and the Rotary Club, just to say ‘thank you’ is more than enough.”
#As the last days of summer give way to the first day and week of school, Turner said the emotions of the bus drivers are a combination of anxiousness and excitement. The main focus now is have a clean, safe day on Monday.
#Added Crear, “We want to stay focused. That’s our main goal, is the safety of our children.”
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