An Alabama school bus driver made his passengers' day when he bought breakfast biscuits for every single one of them during a winter weather delay.
Wayne Price has been driving kids to school in Montevallo, Alabama, since 2013. Last week, he got notice that the district schools would delay opening due to an ice storm. Unfortunately for many of the students, that meant that schools wouldn't be serving breakfast.
About 75% of students at Montevallo Elementary School rely on the National School Lunch Program for breakfast and lunch, People reports. When schools don't open on time, some students could go without a meal.
So Wayne took matters into his own hands. He stopped by a local McDonald's to pick up breakfast sandwiches for every one of his passengers. That's about 50 sandwiches total, Wayne told ABC 33.
"I really did not think about it," Wayne explained. "I thought, hey this would be neat. I bet they will like this."
Wayne had no idea that his simple, selfless act would make national news.
This is Wayne Price. He's been a school bus driver in Montevallo, Alabama, for five years now, and he also works in ministry full-time.
One recent morning, Wayne got word that Montevallo schools would have a delayed opening due to icy roads.
He realized what that meant: Many of the students would be forced to go without breakfast.
Many kids in the school district participate in the National School Lunch Program, which helps children from low-income families afford breakfast and lunch.
And they rely on that program to eat breakfast at school every morning.
About 75% of kids at Montevallo Elementary School participate in the program, for example.
Nobody wants a bus full of hangry, cranky kids on their hands, weather conditions be darned.
So Wayne decided to take action.
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He drove to McDonald's and picked up about 50 breakfast sandwiches – one for each of his passengers.
"One of the kids said, 'Oh, Mr. Price, you must be rich,'" Wayne recalled to ABC 33.
"I am not rich. I am in full-time ministry… but you sit there and think about it, you take your family out to dinner, and you can drop $50 going out to dinner, and it was nothing more than taking my family out to dinner. When it came down to the financial side, it was just second nature. I really did not think about it. I thought, hey this would be neat. I bet they will like this."
"When the kids go on I said, 'So, what do ya want? Sausage? McMuffin?'" Wayne told Today.
Students were unbelievably grateful for the kind gesture, which is absolutely in the holiday spirit.
"I did not think he was going to do it," one fifth grader, Elizabeth Lopez, told ABC 33.
"I am really thankful for having him as a bus driver, and he feels like a dad to me."
A Montevallo Elementary employee told People that Wayne didn't expect his kindness to be newsworthy. He just did it for the children.
Nevertheless, the action has made both local and national headlines.
The elementary school posted about Wayne's sweet gesture on Facebook, and people from far and wide are now reaching out to thank him.
The internet can be an incredibly depressing place these days, so small moments of happiness like this mean a LOT.
And many parents chimed in to thank Wayne for being such an excellent, caring bus driver.
Some even felt moved to donate to Wayne's Christmas to return his generosity.
This story is a lesson in selflessness that we can all learn from around this time of year!
