We are part of The Trust Project.
SUPERIOR — A Superior school bus packed with skeletons, low-hanging fog and smears of what looked like blood traveled to the trunk-or-treat event at Northern Lights Elementary School Monday, Oct. 24.
The first visitors rated the bus as creepy, but cool. There were even some screams.
“Scary, especially the spider. I’m scared of spiders!” said Wes Pederson, 9.
His sister, Brielle, 6, said the coffin at the end was the most frightening part.
Owen Schulz, 9, said it was scary, but “it was actually pretty cool.”
ADVERTISEMENT
As they stood outside, watching other participants assemble different stations — a “Frozen” set, tables with candy, rows of balloons — Wes was still thinking about that spider.
“The spider was huge!” he said.
The haunted bus will travel to three elementary schools this week before reaching its final destination — the trunk-or-treat event at Four Corners Store from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 29.
This is the first year district bus drivers assembled a haunted bus.
“I love it. We should have done it a long time ago. Us drivers like to get involved quite a bit,” said bus driver Terri Karren, who wore a creepy laughing mask for the event.
It was a team effort — drivers donated decorations; food service staff provided candy and a skeleton; maintenance provider Fabick Cat made sure the bus, which isn’t used to transport children, was in good condition for its travels.
“It’s kind of a neat collaboration with everybody,” said bus driver Stacy Fornengo, who was dressed as a crayon.
It took three volunteer sessions to deck the bus out for its trunk-or-treat tour.
“It was fun. We had a blast. Everybody just had different (ideas) and just started and then it just kind of, you know, developed,” said bus aide Linda Trianoski, who was wearing a Thing 1 costume.
ADVERTISEMENT
The potpourri of holiday decor included a skeleton bus driver with glowing eyes; a graveyard; a bloody crime scene; the foggy spider den; a trail of eerie green footprints; and a coffin. District Transportation Director David See was there in spirit. His picture appeared on a number of items, including the skeletal bus driver’s badge and a most wanted sign.
See said the drivers went above and beyond what he expected. He appreciated their flair for decorating and their commitment to students.
“It gives the drivers an opportunity to see the kids in a different environment where they’re out just having fun — not being brought to school — and see their families,” See said.
Costumed drivers helped guide students through the bus and handed out candy. They included driver Ryan Dallum, hidden behind a werewolf mask, and his daughter Marianna, a senior at Superior High School.
Marianna helped decorate the bus last week and passed out candy during the event dressed as an astronaut. Her volunteer hours will go toward the 15 hours of community service every senior is required to have for graduation. She said it was fun working with family and people she knew.
The fact that so many people contributed something to the project — whether through ideas, donations, or volunteering — made it special, Fornengo said.
“Everybody had come up with something or brought stuff and ... it's great to get everybody together, too,” she said.
