Gary Kelmer has been in love with the Philadelphia Eagles for as long as he can remember – and now, because of all of the love he has shown to his young passengers over the years, he will get to see his favorite football team play at the Super Bowl in Minneapolis.
Kelmer has spent decades working as a bus driver for the Mount Laurel school district in New Jersey. As a means of repaying him for all the kindness the 66-year-old driver has shown them over the years, dozens of parents and students alike pitched in to buy Super Bowl tickets for Kelmer and his wife. They also bought personalized jerseys and airfare.
The whole package cost about $5,000 – but it was worth it just to see Kelmer’s face when they surprised him at the last stop of his bus route on Monday.
Upon seeing the news cameras, parents, and kids all gathered outside of his bus, the Eagles fan couldn’t help but tear up over the astounding gesture of compassion.
“This a special dream come true,” Kelmer told CBS News. “I’m ecstatic. I am ecstatic!”
(WATCH the heartwarming video below – or, if the video is not available in your geographic region, you can check out the footage at the CBS News website)
This article originally appeared on Good News Network.