Bill's Bus Clubhouse came fully equipped for fun, complete with bean bag chairs, a TV, DVD player and video games.
Nobody will ever be able to accuse Bill of missing the bus. That’s because, thanks to his wish, the bus is permanently parked outside of his house – and it’s been transformed into the clubhouse of his dreams.
Bill, 12, grew up hearing his father tell stories about his job at a school bus manufacturing company. He also loved visiting his grandfather’s woodworking shop, which was made out of an old bus. Bill, who has been diagnosed with a series of medical conditions including Marfan Syndrome and autism, loved the idea of being able to get away to a place of his own – and a school bus seemed like the perfect place for a clubhouse.
Driven by Bill’s imagination and the blueprints he drew himself, wish granters began to put the bus clubhouse in motion. After a temporary stall – the question of where one could get an old bus worthy of becoming a clubhouse - the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma found the perfect one. Each and every worker at Fox Collision Center volunteered to work after hours, transforming the broken-down bus into a happening hangout.
Bill's favorite records deck the walls, and lighting, heating and cooling systems mean Bill almost never has to come inside.
The remodeling team removed the engine and seats from the bus and added new carpeting and fresh paint. The inside of the bus came to life with donated beanbag and foam chairs, a mini refrigerator and a heat and air conditioning system. Bill is also a lifelong Beatles fan, so vintage records adorn the walls. A table and stools painted with the legendary Route 66 logo – Bill’s favorite – add the finishing touches to the dream bus décor,
and white rope lights light up the bus long after the skies have grown dark. Best of all, a TV, a DVD player and arcade games keep the good times rolling.
The whole bus followed Bill’s designs down to the smallest detail, even featuring the atomic clock he requested. And although scores of volunteers were working to make Bill’s wish come true, Bill himself remained in the dark until the day his bus pulled up. More than 200 friends, family members and wish granters filled Bill’s yard one sunny afternoon after school to unveil the big yellow clubhouse.
Bill was all smiles as he took his place in the driver’s seat of the bus that, until then, had only existed in his imagination.
“I love it!” was all he could say.
According to Bill’s mom, Bill spends more time in the bus clubhouse than in his family’s real house, and there’s no question that the fun on Bill’s bus has no stop in sight.
This page can be found at http://www.wish.org/stories/fantasy/playhouse/bill_bus_clubhouse
©2006 Make-A-Wish Foundation®
