Bill's Bus Needs Your Help...
Donation protected
Hello Fellow Gauchos
My name is Craig Jenkins (Class of 98), and I have owned and operated Bills Bus for the last 20 years. Like most businesses, COVID-19 brought us to a screeching halt 18 months ago. To make matters worse in May of 2020, our insurance company filed for bankruptcy. We didn’t feel the need to seek out new insurance as operations were paused. Now that things are slowly getting back to normal, insurance companies are refusing to offer us affordable insurance due to the nature of our service and our “lapse in coverage.”
The least expensive quote we’ve received is $20,000 per bus per year. This figure is about four times higher than we would typically pay after providing quality service for 30 years without incident. Here is where I need your help.
I have dedicated the last 20 years to this business and would love to keep going for all current and future baby gauchos.
We have teamed up with the local non-profit Arrive Alive Santa Barbara (501c3) to raise money to get us back on the road. I hope to raise $75,000 to cover vehicle registrations and to offset the increase in our insurance costs. It was either a Bill's Bus Only Fans account or GoFundMe so here we are.
- A little bit about us. Bill’s Bus started in 1991 and was credited by the LA Times for cutting the DUI rate in Santa Barbara in half. I think there is room for us to do even better. If you decide that this is a service worth saving, I would love to see us raise enough money to make it FREE to the students for the 2021-22 school year. This service would give the baby gauchos absolutely no reason to drink and drive. If we can raise $200,000, the service will be free to the students for the year. What better way to celebrate our 30th year in Isla Vista than to pay it forward?
I understand that money is tight and that all good things must come to an end. However, I believe in the power of this community and UCSB alumni. So, before we close the doors on our college service, I thought I would give the community a chance to save a company that kept us all safe in our college years and provided the memorable stories that we will all struggle to accurately recollect at our age. I appreciate your valued time and consideration. Be safe, and thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Craig Jenkins
Bill’s Bus
Fundraising team (2)
Bill's Bus Santa Barbara
Organizer
Raised $545 from 6 donations
Buellton, CA
Jeremy Patterson
Team member
This team raised $18,311 from 374 other donations.
