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AMERICAN FORK — The story of an American Fork dad — who wore a new costume for the entire school year to embarrass his son as the school bus drove by — has gone viral.
The family's 15 minutes of fame, is on track to be at least 15 days of fame.
A story published on ksl.com on June 3, helped the story make headlines around the world.
During the school year, Dale Price, who is being called the "World's Most Embarrassing Dad," never worried about what the students on the bus thought of his costumes.
But he always wondered what the bus driver was thinking.
You lifted all of the spirits of all of the kids on the bus.
–Myron Carlson
Myron Carlson, who drove the bus down Price's street, met him on Friday and told him: "You lifted all of the spirits of all of the kids on the bus."
"Except for one," Dale replied
That one, of course, is Dale Price's 16 year old son, Rain.
What started out as a prank by Price to tease his son, turned into a year long event every morning, with a new costume every day.
"He always brought smiles to the kids on the bus, we always looked forward to it and enjoyed it," Carlson said.
It's a relief for Price, who often worried about what adults who saw him in costume were thinking.
Price remembers specifically contemplating what the bus driver might think: " 'I wonder if he is going to call the police or something, there's some kind of weirdo waving at the bus,' but I saw him smiling and he would wave back."
Don't be so worried that you are going to embarrass yourself to show your support or care about your children. I've been able to have a great relationship with my son and we've become friends from this and we laugh together a lot more, so it's been a good thing.
–Dale Price
The bus driver wasn't the only one smiling.
Millions around the world have seen the pictures now, on websites and network TV.
Calls have come from England, Canada, Australia, Japan, Germany, Norway, and Sweden.
It's something Price and his wife Rochelle never imagined when they posted the costumes on a blog.
The family's "Wave at the Bus" blog has had six million hits and the media attention continues.
The George Lopez show has Dale and Rain booked for an appearance sometime this week and even Reader's Digest has planned an article for an upcoming issue.
"It's mindboggling. It was never intended to, I never did this with the intent of something like this happening," Price said. "It was a fun thing for the family, for our friends and neighbors. That's all it was."
While Price is not encouraging parents to do something outrageous like he did, he does hope his story will inspire fathers to be a "Super Dad" to their own children.
"Don't be so worried that you are going to embarrass yourself to show your support or care about your children," Price added. "I've been able to have a great relationship with my son and we've become friends from this and we laugh together a lot more, so it's been a good thing."
E-mail: spenrod@ksl.com
