With his family looking on, teacher Vance Reid thanks Mason High students and school staff for the gift of a wheelchair-accessible van.

MASON – More than 2,100 Mason High School students and staff gave teacher Vance Reid and his family a standing ovation this morning as the family’s new, wheelchair-accessible van rolled into Dwire Stadium.

Reid, whose 9-year-old daughter suffers birth defects and is wheelchair bound, was surprised earlier this week when he learned that a secret school fund-raising campaign started just last week had raised more than $51,000 to buy the new van.

“I had no idea and I don’t know what to say,” said the tearful history teacher as he thanked the cheering crowd. “What you people have done … our family is so grateful and we’ll never be able to repay you.”

Reid, who is also Mason’s wrestling coach, had mentioned in what he thought was a private conversation with a fellow staffer two weeks ago that his family was having problems paying for a van renovation that would allow them to transport his daughter Jordan. That staffer started the fund-raising campaign, which generated more than $51,000.

Participating in this morning’s ceremony were NFL Hall of Famer and former Bengal Anthony Munoz and Mason Superintendent Kevin Bright as well as Mason’s students in grades 9-11.