Stellar crossing guards do it for the kids
Trevor Elliott, winner of the 2011 Alachua County School Crossing Guard of the Year Award, talks with Max Davis, 9, a third grade student at Lawton Chiles Elementary, before helping him cross SW 24th Avenue near the school, in Gainesville, Feb. 3, 2012. Elliott has worked the corner of Southwest 24th Avenue and Schoolhouse Road near Lawton Chiles Elementary for nine years.
Brad McClenny/The Gainesville SunPublished: Friday, February 3, 2012 at 6:19 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, February 3, 2012 at 6:19 p.m.
Speeding drivers, lousy weather and stalled traffic can't wipe the smile off Lawton Chiles Elementary School crossing guard Trevor Elliott's face.
When students bound up to the crosswalk to tell him about their day or show off their latest academic achievement, the busy flow of traffic seems to come to a stop.
"This is what I live for," Eliott said.
Elliott was recognized as one of three Alachua County Crossing Guards of the Year on Friday, which was designated as School Crossing Guard Appreciation Day.
Linda McMillan, a crossing guard at Talbot Elementary School, and Sheila Wooley, stationed at Irby Elementary School, were also named top aides during the fifth appreciation breakfast hosted by the Alachua County Sheriff's Office, Gainesville Police Department, Alachua Police Department and Waldo Police Department.
Elliott, who is a stay-at-home dad of three, will celebrate in March a decade of assisting students and bike riders to cross safely. He stays because of the kids, Elliott said.
"I'm the first person they see associated with the school, so I always try to have a positive attitude," he said.
Toni Fulton of the Sheriff's Office said Elliott does more than hold up a stop sign.
"Safety is his No. 1 concern," she said. "He'll call if anything is wrong. He fixes bikes, talks to the kids and really knows the children."
He asks about their grades and encourages them to do well in and out of school. Students riding their bikes home with their parents showed Elliott achievement certificates while they waited at the stop sign.
Jeff Savage rode up on bikes with his two sons, 8-year-old Ryan and 11-year-old Wyatt.
"He's here every single day, rain or shine," Savage said.
Ryan, a second-grader, said he would be scared if Elliott wasn't there.
"He's working hard to help us cross the street," he said.
Elliott stopped out onto Southwest 24th Avenue and blew traffic to a stop.
"Come on gentlemen," he said. "Have a good weekend, and root for the (New York) Giants."
Suzanne Cockey, a parent of a Chiles student, leaned out of her SUV and said Elliott deserves the recognition. Many parents applauded him as they waited to turn.
"He's been here for years and he's the best," she said.
Other drivers remind Elliott of how long he's been standing at the corner.
Elliott's eldest daughter Kimberlyn, a senior at Buchholz High School, attended Chiles.
"Some of her classmates are driving to school now, and it makes me feel so old," he said.
When the flashing school zone light stops just after school on Friday, a car blazes through the intersection going much faster than the 35-mph speed limit. That's why Elliott will stay a little bit longer than his afternoon shift to ensure any stragglers have an adult to help them cross.
"I just think about how I would feel if I weren't here and something happened," he said.
"Just take a minute to slow down," he said. "How much time are you going to gain speeding through a school zone?"
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