The Loudoun Youth Initiative dedicated a bus this week that will be available to transport kids to organized activities around the county.

“This bus will help older kids and teens who don’t yet have their driver’s license or whose parents aren’t available to drive them places,” LYI president Carol Kost said.

Children stand in front of the new LYI bus. (Photos courtesy LYI)

The LYI bus will be available to transport kids to activities at area teen centers, movie theaters, shopping malls, and organized programs through the Boys and Girls Clubs of Loudoun, the YMCA and Loudoun County Public Schools.

The Virginia Regional Transit Association (VRTA) and the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors' Advisory Commission on Youth are helping LYI meet the transportation needs of the county’s youth. Together, these organizations developed the “Teen Machine” program after hearing local kids complain at a youth symposium that they didn’t have a way to get to area activities.

According to Kost, Chad Henderson, a junior at Loudoun Valley High School, was instrumental in expanding the transportation program. “Chad surveyed his peers, worked with county officials, and developed the PIP program (People In Places) to get kids safely to activities they ordinarily wouldn’t be able to attend. He’s an amazing kid,” she said.

The new LYI bus.

The decorated bus, which is owned and operated by VRTA, was made possible through a donation by the Broadlands Regional Medical Center, which has donated about $150,000 to LYI over the past five years. BRMC spokesperson Tracey White said, “We’re proud to be a partner of LYI and proud to have been a part of making this bus a reality for Loudoun kids.”

At the bus unveiling, which took place Monday at Claude Moore Park, Kost announced, “This bus is a visual, concrete way to say to the youth of Loudoun that we’ve listened to what you’ve said and we are doing all we can as a community to provide you with support after-school, nights and on weekends.”