It was no ordinary bus ride to school for a group of Altona students Wednesday morning.

In a show of appreciation for a fund raiser that benefitted Altona/Rhineland Emergency Services this past summer, fire fighter Ike Thiessen gave Axel Smith, Lyla Smith and Sophie Fehr a lift to school in a fire truck. 

The group, which also included Bella Peters and Hallie Smith, operated a small food stand during the 2019 Manitoba Sunflower Festival, and pitched on Main Street along the route of the Saturday morning commercial parade, they sold lemonade, coffee and baked goods such as brownies and cinnamon buns. 

Half of the proceeds were designated for the fire fighter boot drive also conducted during the annual parade by members of the local fire department. The other half of the money was set aside to cover the costs of running another stand in 2020.