Bus volunteer of 15 years helps keep riders connected

LAKELAND, Fla. (FOX 13) - The Citrus Connection bus terminal in downtown Lakeland is a busy place. It can also be a daunting place -- people getting on, getting off. Buses coming and going. There is a lot of activity and a lot to keep track of if you want to get to where you're going on time.

There is one person who is a soothing source of specifics, and he doesn't ask for a dime. For 15 years, Kevin Hawthorne has been a volunteer wit Citrus Connection.

"A lot of people use the buses," explained Dawn Chevalier, a terminal security officer. "I'd say an average of a thousand people a day. They can ask either one of us and we can get them what they need to know." 

There is the company of calmness in this corral of chaos, Dawn said, and it comes in the form of Hawthorne.

"The drivers love him, supervisors love him. Everybody loves Kevin," Dawn said. "Who doesn't?"

The best part is, when you see him there, he's not making a dime. All the work he does is completely volunteer. He is also a walking-talking bus schedule, which is helpful for those bus riders. 

"It takes 15 minutes to memorize them," he said. "In my heart, I have all of them memorized. I just love what I do and I would not give up this job."