If you see a black Porsche Boxter outside Bridger Elementary, then you know John Hanson is here.
“These little kids look forward to seeing him each and every day,” says teacher Francie Phillips.
You’ll find John working with the students on their reading skills just about every school morning.
“I'm selfish. I get more out of it than I get,” he says.
John, a veteran who served from 1959 to 1965, started helping in Phillips' second grade classroom after his wife passed away.
“This gets me up and showered and shaved in here-- and probably keeps me out of jail,” he jokingly says.
It didn’t take long for him to become a regular.
“Once you get here for a couple weeks, you're not just coming. You're part of the deal. You do it, and it's just great. If you miss a day, they want to know where you were and why. And if you were sick, they worry about you,” he says.
“He’s just a big part of our school. When he's not in the classroom with my second graders, he's over at volleyball games, basketball games, taking pictures,” says Phillips.
John can also be found on the sidelines snapping photos of Bridger High Schools sporting events. Many of his photos have appeared in the Carbon County News.
He seldom misses a volleyball match.
“He's always super uplifting. He always makes sure we're doing good. If you're down and he can tell, he'll come up behind you on the bench and be like, hey you're doing good. Keep doing what you're doing. It's alright. And he just lifts up the players so much,” says senior volleyball player Destiney Anguiano.
He gives the photos out at the end of the season to the athletes for their memories.
“These kids are great. People keep saying that kids nowadays. Well, the kids are the same as you or I were born in school. They're great.”
And it is obvious that feeling goes both ways,
“I just don't know what we would do without him here,” says Phillips.
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