Imagine turning a $2 button into $1 million.
That's the mission that Kelowna, BC native Ryan Lancaster is on at the moment as he takes drives the Million Dollar Bus across the country with the hopes of raising $1 million to fund community passion projects across Canada.
At 31-years-old, Lancaster was holding a stable job, had a home and a great group of friends, but he wasn't feeling fulfilled.
"I just wasn't really feeling like I was doing enough and felt like I could be doing more with my life, so that's kind of where this all started," said Lancaster, who stopped in Sudbury this week.
Ryan's mission is simple enough, travel across the country in a retrofitted school bus, learning about different community passion projects and raising money for them as well as spreading the word about the projects and organizations themselves.
Here in the Nickel City, Lancaster met with members of Sudbury Therapeutic Riding Program, an organization that provides individualized therapeutic horseback riding for people with special needs by promoting safety and enjoyment.
"There's just so many great organizations out there like this therapeutic riding program in Sudbury," said Lancaster. "There's so many great projects and people willing to sacrifice their time and more for the betterment of the community. I want to shine a light on these programs and help them in any way that I can."
Raising $1 million is a lofty goal, but considering how Lancaster started the project, it doesn't seem far fetched. The 33-year-old started with nothing more than a $2 button, and a few trades and six weeks later he was the owner of a school bus.
From a button to a tea set, to a camera, to a jet ski, and finally to a bus. Lancaster then went to work renovating the bus's interior, essentially turning it into an RV, complete with sleeping quarters, a kitchen, and a bathroom.
The old bus has been good to Lancaster, but hasn't been without its share of mechanical shortcomings here and there. The tour however has opened Ryan's eyes to how much good there is across Canada.
"We lost a windshield wiper coming through Manitoba. We got into Dryden and there was this little out of the way mechanic, the guy just came right into the bus, took the dash apart and fixed everything up for us," said Lancaster. "He didn't even charge us, he was really into what we were doing and just wanted to help out in any way he could."
Lancaster has been travelling with a community manager and videographer and there's no shortage of stories of the kindness of strangers pulling through during the trip.
"We were near Marathon, and this car basically pulled us over and I'm thinking 'uh oh, did I cut them off or do something wrong?' but they had apparently been following us for like an hour and were trying to get our attention," said Lancaster.
"They told me how they'd seen the bus on TV and just wanted to meet us. They pretty much whisked us up, took us into their home for a meal and everything. It's been really great, you get to see that despite what you may think, a lot of people just want to do good."
The Million Dollar Bus departed Kelowna, BC on Sept. 8, and Lancaster hopes to reach St. John's, NFLD, "before it gets too cold".
Money is being raised through purchasing "real estate" on the bus at $10 per square inch. Individuals, companies, community organizations and more can purchase a 1" x 1" square and the goal is to fill the entire exterior of the bus.
"100,000 square inches times $10 makes a million dollars," said Lancaster.
Ryan and his travel mates will spend the next 18 months fundraising for community projects before making their way back across the country, giving funds to the community projects they've learned about on their journey.
For more on the bus or how to get involved, visit milliondollarbus.com.
