While Columbia Adventist Academy class of 2004 was deciding what to give as their school gift, someone jokingly suggested, “What about a new tour bus?” Replacing the existing 1960s-vintage bus seemed like an unreachable dream.

The journey moved from a dream to reality when the class decided for sure this would be their goal. When asked if they thought it was a reachable goal at that time, Brittany Prahl, class vice president, replied, “Yes, but we also realized that it would be a lot of work.”

However, through fund-raisers and other donations, the money raised soon surpassed the original goal and a newer bus could be purchased. When the time came to pick up the bus from Seattle, the students found it hard to believe they had actually done it.

As the seniors boarded for the first trip on the new bus, several commented that now the students at Columbia have a bus they can be proud to use.