One of the things Doug Hayes wants to do in 2020 is drive his grandkids to school every day. Hayes, who lives in Oregon, has 10 grandchildren, half of which attend Paideia Classical Christian School, a small private school that, due to its size, doesn’t provide school bus services. So, their parents drop them off everyday.
“The kids have always said, ‘Gee whiz, I like our school, but we would like to be able to have a school bus,’” Hayes told CNN. So, deciding to take matters into his own hands—just in time for Christmas—he surprised his grandkids with a small school bus. The vehicle is big enough for all 10 grandkids, half of which are not school age yet, but will be in the upcoming few years. The bus even has “Grandfather Express” written on its side.
“When they saw it, they were just ecstatic," Hayes told CNN. All of his grandchildren live within approximately 20 minutes driving-distance of him and their school is just two to three miles from his house. His plan is to pick them up everyday, drop the bus back at the house and then take his car to work, he told CNN.
Ultimately, the goal is really to just spend more time with them. According to a Facebook post from his wife, Amy, Hayes had the idea after she asked him what bucket list items he wanted to do as he approached 60. A few weeks later, he told her about his idea, as she writes him saying, “I want a bus so I can go around every morning, pick up all the grandkids, and drive them to school before I go to work. Just a small bus. We’d sing songs, talk, and it would be something unforgettable they did with their grandfather. If money were no object, I’d want a bus.”
After about a month of looking, the couple found a bus they liked. It already came with letter and number magnet decorations on the interior, so all Hayes had to do was add seat belts to each seat.
“It’s primarily about getting to spend a few minutes with them every single morning,” Hayes told CNN. The first pickup is scheduled for his grandchildren’s first day back to school after the holiday break.
