Food drive is today in Dayton

Dayton bus drivers are asking for the community’s help in filling a bus today with food and toys for families in need.

As part of its third annual Fill A Bus drive, the Dayton Transportation Department of the Lyon County School District will have a school bus parked in the parking lot of Smith’s Food and Drug on U.S. Highway 50 East.

“Any kind of food or toys would be great,” said Debbie Shenal, area coordinator for the Dayton Transportation Yard. “We can actually take any kind of food because Smith’s has been kind enough to let us use the refrigerator and freezer.”

The drive started three years ago as drivers looked for ways to help their students, who were sharing their stories of hardship.

“We, as bus drivers, see day in and day out that there’s a lot of people in our community that need help,” Shenal said. “We just want to make sure everyone has a warm meal for the Christmas season.”

The food will be donated to the Dayton food bank, and the toys will be donated to Toys for Tots to be distributed to Dayton families.

This year’s drive is dedicated to one of the drive’s founders, Linda Haigler, a crossing guard who died shortly before Thanksgiving this year.

“She was my best friend, and she absolutely cared about our kids,” Shenal said. “She would, around the holidays, always buy them little goodies. She always spent her own money to get them a little something. I would love to do this as a tribute to her.”