The Sarnia-Lambton YMCA is looking for teens of three to six people eager to cross pushing a school bus 100 meters off their bucket list.
The Sarnia-Lambton YMCA is looking for teens of three to six people eager to cross pushing a school bus 100 meters off their bucket list.
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The Y’s third annual Push the Bus summer camp fundraiser rolls out July 26 at 11:30 am at the Jerry McCaw Family Center in Sarnia.
Teams will gather outside at the Y on Finch Drive to compete in a tournament-style push-off for a golden bus trophy and bragging rights, while raising money for the YMCA’s Fill the Bus campaign.
The campaign raises money to cover the $200 weekly fee for children from low-income families to attend YMCA summer day camps.
Push the Bus began in Sarnia in 2022 with local YMCA general manager Paul Skuza.
“I just had this idea to add to our Fill the Bus campaign an event to highlight the cause and create some awareness,” he said.
Pushing a school bus about 100 meters across the parking lot was something physical, “which is right up our alley at the Y,” he said.
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“You get to bike and run and swim any time you want,” Skuza said. “How often do you get to push a school bus?”
The bus at the first event weighed 13,385 kilograms, plus the weight of a driver inside to steer and stop at the finish line, then back up to the starting line for the next team.
Several Y and community teams competed and raised more than $2,000. “So, it was a small but mighty event,” Skuza said. “It created some buzz.”
A life-long fitness fan, Skuza took a turn and pushed the bus across the finish line solo. “It’s possible,” he said.
They decided to turn Push the Bus into an annual event and the community response grew last year with about 20 teams, including from firefighters, police, paramedics, teachers and YMCA staff and campaign sponsors Mainstreet Credit Union.
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We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Sarnia filmmaker Ian Alexander created a video to promote next week’s fundraiser.
This year, the YMCA in Chatham-Kent held its first Push the Bus event at Ribfest.
Skuza said they’ve added a new element this year in Sarnia.
Previously, teams competed to set the fastest bus-push time. This year, the Y will have two buses – donated for the day by Langs – and teams will compete in tournament-style heats.
“You don’t have to be. . . in elite physical condition,” Skuza said. “If you have four or five friends with you, you’ll be OK.”
The hardest part is getting the bus moving, she said. “Once it’s rolling it’s not so bad,” though teams do need to lean in at the end of the typically 30- to 60-second push.
As of mid-week, about a dozen teams had signed up and there’s room for 32, Skuza said.
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“We have a little bus we painted gold” for the winner, and prizes for top fundraisers, he said.
The entry fee is at least $200 a team – enough to send one youngster to camp for a week – but teams are encouraged to raise more.
For more on entering or donating, visit ymcaswo.ca/pushthebus.
Last year, the YMCA in Sarnia raised about $15,000 during the Fill the Bus campaign, Skuza said. This year’s goal is $20,000, which will allow 100 kids to go to camp.
About 150 kids a week, ages four to 12, attend Y summer day camp in Sarnia.
“We know parents need care for their kids in the summertime,” Skuza said.
But they also need to socialize with other kids their age and be active, he said.
“Here they can go outside, do sports, swim in the pool,” take part in camp games and be creative with arts and crafts, Skuza said.
“And they’re just having fun,” he said. “We’re giving them the opportunity, without financial barriers, to do something healthy for their development.”
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