KENNEWICK, Wash. -- A school bus driver in Kennewick, Washington, did something beautiful when he saw a child board the bus crying after waiting in the bitter cold.
The Kennewick School District shared the act of kindness on its Facebook page.
Driver John Lunceford noticed how red the student's exposed hands and ears were after he had waited for the bus in the freezing temperatures that morning.
Lunceford, a U.S. Army veteran in his third year driving buses for the district, said, "I put my gloves on him and told him, 'It’ll be OK, it’ll be OK.'"
After dropping off the students at school, a district representative said Lunceford went to the store, bought 10 hats and 10 sets of gloves and went back to the school to give the little boy one of the hats and pairs of gloves.
Lunceford told all the students that if they were on his route and didn't have hats or gloves, he would take care of them. That's when a little girl also said she didn't have a hat. "I said I’ll take care of you, sweetie," Lunceford told her.
Lunceford said he's a grandfather and would never want a child to suffer like that.
The district also shared a reminder for parents: "The onset of winter weather means families need to send their students off each day wearing heavy coats as well as hats and gloves or mittens. Our staff are always willing to help families find any items they need."
