News

Actions

Dad walks 6 miles to be with daughter stranded at snowy school

Posted at 8:16 AM, Jan 31, 2014
and last updated 2014-01-31 08:16:02-05

ATLANTA (WGCL) — More than 100 students and staff members at E. Rivers Elementary in Atlanta spent the night at the school on Tuesday after snow and ice left them stranded.

“I’m tired, we’re tired, but we’re having fun with it,” E. Rivers Elementary Principal Mark Rogers said.

The children slept on mats in the school gymnasium, but Rogers had popcorn and pizza for the kids and even played movies, calling it a “snow-cation.”

“I’m a pretty positive person so I’m going to focus on what we can learn from this,” Rogers said.

Fortunately, kindergartner Elizabeth Nilson didn’t have to spend the night away from her family. Her father couldn’t drive in the dangerous conditions so he walked six miles to the school to be with his daughter.

“I decided to take a blanket and walk up Peachtree Street and Roswell Road and Powers Ferry to go see Elizabeth,” Elizabeth’s father Mark Nilson said.

It is stories like this that encouraged others in the community to volunteer food and transportation. So while the kids found ways to have fun, the adults admit they’ve learned from this experience.

“When they say a storm is coming, be better prepared,” bus driver Duntae Spear said.