Courtesy Photo Sally Delke, Rogers City Area Schools bus driver, takes a moment to pose with one of the Rogers City Elementary School students, Onnika Plume, who rides on her bus route. Delke has sent about 90 handwritten cards to students since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered schools closed in mid-March.

ROGERS CITY — Rogers City school bus driver Sally Delke sent out nearly 90 handwritten cards to the kids on her bus route earlier this month, hoping it would make someone’s day a little brighter.

The Rogers City Area Schools driver hasn’t been able to see the students she transports to school every day since Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered districts around the state closed in mid-March to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

As of Monday, 83 Northeast Michigan residents have been confirmed infected with the coronavirus: 63 Alpena County residents (38 of whom live at MediLodge of Alpena), 11 Presque Isle County residents (one of whom lives at MediLodge of Rogers City), five Montmorency County residents, and four Alcona County residents.

Three Alpena County residents have died.

Though she can’t see them any more, Delke wanted to reach out to the kids who have become a part of her daily routine.

“Even though we’re at home, I’m still thinking of my daily job,” Delke said. “I think about the kids. You see them every morning, you bring them home every night, and, because it’s so much of your life and day, I think about them out there.”

It was the first time Delke has written notes for the kids on her route. Doing so allowed her to contact kids like her seniors, who don’t catch the bus as much.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with graduation this year or parties because of COVID-19, and I wanted them to know I was thinking of them,” she said.

Delke said some of the students on her mailing list have written back.

“I’ve had a couple of the middle school girls, which by the time we get back to school, will be in high school, and I’ve had some elementary kids write me back, too,” she said.

Before Rogers City, Delke worked for a couple years as a substitute driver for Hamilton Community Schools downstate. She has been driving school buses since 2004.

In 2007, Delke started driving for Posen Consolidated Schools and Rogers City as a substitute, until she began driving full-time for Rogers City in 2011.

In addition to Delke’s driving job, her family also owns and operates a maple syrup farm known as 4D Acre Farm in Hawks. Her family moved to the farm in 2009 and have harvested maple syrup for a decade now. They sell to places like Plath’s Meats and Knaebe’s Mmmunchy Krunchy Apple Farm in Rogers City, and Downtown Scoops in Alpena.

Delke treasures the friendships made between the kids on her bus route.

“It’s just me and them on the bus every day,” she said. “When you really think about it, you’re traveling down the road, I have my back to them the entire time, and I have one mirror where I can look up and see what’s going on back there. It’s something where they learn to trust you and you learn to trust them, also. You really become a lot of their life, because you’re the first face they see in the morning as far as school personnel, and sometimes you’re the last face they see.”

Delke’s daughter and son graduated from Rogers City High School within the past four years. She has watched not only her own children grow into young adults, but also the other kids she has gotten to know on her route.

“I guess I treat the kids the same way I raised my own children and the way I would want to be treated if I was still a kid,” she said. “You want to be heard and know that you’ll be taken care of. And, because I’m a parent, I want to see these kids succeed.”

Meakalia Previch-Liu can be reached at 989-358-5680 or mprevich-liu@thealpenanews.com.