After retirement, Donny Rains found a new purpose as the crossing guard at Rusk Elementary School.
"This is a great job for retirement," Rains said in a press release issued by the Midland Independent School District (ISD) to help celebrate Walk to School Day. "It gives me purpose and gets me up and going in the mornings."
Created in 1997 to raise awareness about fitness and pedestrian safety, Walk to School Day has grown into a global annual event in which families who live close enough to walk or ride a bike to campus are encouraged to do so.
Rains lives a block away from the school and works as the crossing guard every morning and afternoon during the school week.
"He is very dependable and reliable," Rusk Principal Dora Flores said in the press release. "All the kids love him. He greets them every morning and is friendly with students, parents and staff."
While it may seem like a small job, a crossing guard is an important role for students who walk to school. Approximately 25% of students at Midland ISD arrive and leave school in this fashion.
"Crossing guards are just one piece of the puzzle in providing safe walking or biking routes to school," MISD Police Chief Arthur Barclay said in the press release. "That's why it's important for drivers to slow down and observe speed zones."