The names on the bus go on the seat

Did you ever want your name engraved on the back of a bus seat? Now is your chance.

Parents, friends and patrons of the Costa Mesa based All-American Boys Chorus, your help is needed. Tony Manrique, executive director of the chorus, composed of young men in red jackets who have toured the county, the nation and the world for the past 30-plus years, just put out a plea for financial support. The chorus needs a new bus. The present bus was personally made by Henry Ford. OK, not really.

Did you know that a used bus costs $250,500? That’s too many bake sales to even imagine.

Just the same, through the ardent fundraising of the boys and their parents, the chorus has pledges totaling $180,500. However, they must raise the remaining $70,000 by year end in order to secure the deal on the bus and to avoid losing some corporate dollars already granted.

Here’s the deal. Buy a bus seat for $2,000 and your name will ride wherever the boys go spreading old-fashioned American goodwill. If you can’t afford an entire seat, buy a corner, buy a cushion. If you’re part of a big company, maybe a larger grant might be possible.

Manrique advises that some very generous people, including the George Hoag Family Foundation, the Weingart Foundation, Donald Koll, Virginia Robb, Donna and Ronald Phelps and Gary March have been extremely giving, contributing the majority of funds toward the bus.