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Arriving in style: C.W. Longer students win rides to elementary school by local first responders

By Colette Costlow 3 min read

HOLLIDAYSBURG -- A quartet of kids arrived at school in style Thursday morning, rolling up to Charles W. Longer Elementary in a Phoenix Volunteer Fire Department fire truck and a Hollidaysburg Police Department car.

"It was fun, and it was a little bit bumpy," said 6-year-old Kairo Stewart.

Kairo and his sister, Nevaeh, 11, rode together in a Phoenix fire truck; Louis Mathias, 6, and friend Theo Onichi, 6, rode in the back of a Hollidaysburg police car. Every child said they wanted to ride in a first responder's vehicle again.

"Because it was fun," Louis said.

At a Parent-Teacher Organization tailgate party on Sept. 4, Kairo and Louis both won the raffle prize, a ride to school in a fire truck and a police car, C.W. Longer PTO secretary Bailie

Stewart said. The PTO permitted each winner to bring one guest, so Kairo brought his older sister, while Louis brought his friend.

"It's our different way to do some sort of fun raffle that wasn't a prize," she said. "It was something fun to experience."

As an alternative to a tangible prize, she said they'll include student-based experiences at next year's raffle, based on positive reactions from students and staff.

"Not only does it give students a very unique way to come to school, but it highlights that sense of community that's so prominent in Hollidaysburg and here at Longer," Principal Brian Keagy said.

As October is fire prevention month, he said the students who rode in the fire engine can also see the firefighter's equipment up close while learning about fire safety in school.

"They'll be memories for these kids forever," Keagy said. "These kids are going to remember coming to school in a police car and a fire truck."

On the other side of the vehicles, Phoenix Volunteer Fire Department Captain Dennis Estep and Hollidaysburg Police Chief Richard Oldham expressed their positive experience bringing kids to school Thursday morning.

"It gives the kids an opportunity to be a celebrity for the day," Oldham said. "Just to let them have a little bit of an enjoyable experience before their school day."

While the students seemed nervous at first, firefighter Gary Lingenfelter said they became comfortable while they learned about the special equipment stored in each vehicle.

Estep said it's also a way to get the community involved in the daily lives of first responders, whether they donate to the companies at fundraisers or they sign up to become one in the future.

"It's better to get them interested younger, and then they think it's cool and realize that boys and girls can be firefighters," he said. "Hopefully later, when they're older, they want to join."

Kids can also realize that first responders are human, too, they said. Kids can reach out to first responders if they're in an emergency.

"We're approachable; they can come up and talk to us anytime," Estep said.

Mirror Staff Writer Colette Costlow is at 814-946-7414.

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