JCPS bus driver’s random act of kindness turns a student’s bad day around
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) - An act of kindness from a JCPS bus driver made the day for one Engelhard Elementary School student.
On Friday, JCPS Bus Driver Larry Farrish Jr. noticed that when he went to pick up Levi, a first-grader at Engelhard, he wasn’t flashing his usual big smile and excited wave.
“I pulled up to the bus stop, and I saw Levi sitting down by himself with his head down, and it dawned on me, something is wrong,” Farrish said. “He’s always happy, but this particular day, he was not happy.”
With a face full of tears, Levi told Farrish he was sad because he didn’t have pajamas for “pajama day” at school.
“It hurt me so bad,” Farrish said. “That just wasn’t my Levi, and I wanted him to have a good day. No child should have to miss out on something as small as pajama day.”
Once Farrish dropped Levi off and finished his morning bus run, he went to a nearby Family Dollar and bought a few pairs of pajamas in different sizes. He came back to the school and asked the front office staff if they could call Levi down.
“I saw Levi coming down the hall, and he had a face just as happy as could be,” Farrish said. “It really turned the whole Friday around, for him and for me.”
JCPS said Farrish’s kindness made for one ecstatic first-grader.
“I can tell Mr. Larry is nice and his heart is filled with joy,” Levi said. “I’m usually really happy, but not on pajama day…When he got me the pajamas, I did a happy cry.”
Farrish started driving a bus about seven years ago. He said he picked up the position to primarily have weekends and summers off, but the job quickly turned into something much bigger than that.
He said it’s become his passion because of the impact it allows him to make. From playing rock, paper, scissors, to telling jokes, to perfecting special handshakes, Farrish said he loves connecting with students.
“They become my kids after they leave their parents,” Farrish said. “I make sure they get to and from school safe, but I also try to bring some type of joy to their lives.”
Farrish’s act of kindness has gained a lot of attention. Attention that he says is both “overwhelming” and “touching.”
Even though he isn’t very active on social media, Farrish said people have gone out of their way to reach out and let him know the impact he’s had—not just on Levi—but also on the students he’s driven throughout the years.
“For people to actually be able to find me and reach out on behalf of such a small gesture, it made me cry,” Farrish said. “It feels good knowing I made an impact on a child’s life.”
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