On Monday, Marysville School District bus driver Josie Powers thanked the 700-plus community members who turned out to support high school students as they returned to the site of an Oct. 24 school shooting. A male freshman opened fire on his friends and cousins in the cafeteria, killing three girls and wounding two boys before turning the gun on himself.
Powers organized the “Light Their Way Back” event on Facebook Sunday and asked everyone to spread the word to make the turnout truly memorable for the students of Marysville-Pilchuk High School.
When Powers drove her bus Monday morning, she said she was thrilled to see hundreds of supporters dressed in MPHS colors standing in the rain, holding candles and cheering the yellow buses carrying high school students (pictured, above).
“Thank you does not even come close to expressing my gratitude to everyone who braved the rain to greet the students as they returned this morning,” she wrote, adding that she still couldn’t believe that 750 people made her dream a reality.
“Many of my fellow drivers said their kids were putting down their windows and waving as they passed and there were more than a few tears shed. You all are amazing. Thank you, and may none of us ever have reason to gather for a tragedy like this again,” she continued.
People gather to watch the school buses bring students back to class.Parents and members of the public took the time to thank Powers for organizing the event designed to lift the teenagers’ spirits on their first day back on campus. The Marysville-Pilchuck principal confirmed the cafeteria where the shooting occurred would remain closed the rest of the year.
On Facebook, Colleen Emery Epstein told Powers, “Thank you so much for organizing this, Josie. It was so sad to see the busses so empty, but knowing many parents drove their kids to school today was overwhelming. Tears flowed for a lot of us.”
Angie Corpus Edgington shared, “A very emotional morning, yet so happy to have been there to welcome the kids back … May their day be a little brighter and may they know they will always have continued support from the community … Marysville Strong!”
Added Karrie Barr Vettleson: ‘When I heard about ‘Light Their Way Back,’ I knew it had to start with the bus drivers. This day started with them and they were there for the students. It’s a new day with new strengths.”
