Clarkston Community Schools bus drivers will make a special stop this holiday season at Lighthouse Emergency Services in Independence Township for their sixth annual Stuff-a-Bus charity drive.
‘The drivers love it and it’s a great way to continue giving to the community which we work for and a lot of drivers live in,? said Tammy Layton, bus driver.
The event is 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 12-13, at Kroger, 5590 Sashabaw Road.
The plan is to fill the bus with not only new toys and clothing, but also non-perishable food, personal care items, gift cards, and monetary donations.
‘The community looks forward to it every year,? said Layton. ‘Lighthouse excepts donations at anytime, but the community likes it when we show up with our bus and the drivers are there.?
Layton began the annual event with her fellow drivers after donating her time to SCAMP.
‘In 2003, I put on a huge garage sale at the old Ellis Barn for the program,? she said. ‘We managed to raise $13,000 – but it was so extreme and such a large amount of work, it was hard to continue with it.?
She started thinking about other events she could do and wanted to get the transportation department involved.
‘We are more than just bus drivers,? she shared. ‘We care about our kids, our community and our jobs and this is a way for us to show it.?
When the event started in 2004, the goal was to fill a single bus.
‘People have been very generous even with the economy being poor the last couple of years,? she added.
One year they received an anonymous donation of $5,000 to take to Lighthouse on top of what they had already gathered.
‘It was absolutely wonderful,? said Layton.
Each year they have collected at least $5,000 worth of merchandise for Lighthouse or more.
The bus drivers will drop off all of the donations after finishing their morning routes on Monday, Dec. 14.
They ask for all donations be unwrapped and new. They can be for children of all ages.
‘We are just happy to be able to do it,? said Layton. ‘So many of us busdrivers don’t make a lot of money – this is a way for us to perform a community service.?