In 1994 the marketing staff of Regional Transit (RT) asked me if I could design and carry out the completion of an RT Holiday Bus. Being the energetic young artist that I was, I said “sure.” Little did I realize at that time that this artistic endeavor would be asked upon me for the next 21 years.

In November of this year, I completed my 22nd RT Holiday Bus. On the 14th of November, RT employees and their families celebrated the start of the holiday season by taking part in RT’s Annual Holiday Bus Painting Party. This year more than 80 RT artists used a “paint-by-numbers” technique to bring the decorative 40-foot bus to life.

In 2012 I retired from RT, where I spent 23 years as a part of the creative force that made up the RT marketing department. Every November since, RT has hired me back in order to keep the tradition alive. During this month I help supervise and apply my talents guiding participants in painting the candy canes, snowmen, teddy bears, poinsettias, and other fanciful holiday creations that covered the entire bus. Even though this was the 22nd RT Holiday Bus I created, I approached it with the same enthusiasm as the first.

I’m so appreciative to RT for continuing this great experience. This event has evolved into a tradition that includes family and friends. It’s been a pleasure to see how my own family and the children of RT employees have grown in the last 22 years. The kids and parents that take part in this special event really feel a great sense of pride when they witness the bus driving down the road like a giant greeting card.

The Holiday Bus serves as a way to thank passengers who use the RT system and to give back to the community as a whole. Free to passengers, the Holiday Bus will be operating on different routes in the Sacramento region through Jan. 3rd, 2016. The schedule can be found by visiting www.sacrt.com/holidaybus15.stm. Once inside, passengers listen to festive holiday music and view on display several holiday themed posters painted by some of the younger children.

In lieu of fare, monetary donations and non-perishable food items will be collected on the bus to benefit the River City Food Bank, a non-profit organization that provides emergency food and housing assistance in Sacramento County. For more information about the food bank visit www.rivercityfoodbank.org.