As one of the nation’s largest family owned bus transportation companies, CIC takes pride in improving the physical and mental health of our employees. “Bus-a-Move” is our initiative to get our drivers up and moving. We use preventative programming that educates and stimulates our employees. This, combined with hands-on instruction, creates a work environment that encourages our employees to live healthier lifestyles and perform their work duties at a higher standard. The lyrics of the song “Don’t just stand there, bust a move!” are not just words to us, they are our way of life. Lead by our Corporate Health and Wellness Manager Raquita Shupe, our sites have weight loss challenges, smoking cessation programs, Zumba classes, health education seminars, and sports competitions, just to name a few!

Bus-A-Move - Cook Illinois Health Initiative

We feel that healthy eating is one of the foundations to good health and that it starts at home. Supplied by local farmers, our “Vegetation Transportation” bus is just another example of how CIC is always using our innovative thinking to make eating healthy accessible to all employees. We took one of our unused school buses and converted it into a traveling farmers market! CIC subsidizes the cost of all the produce in order to provide a minimal cost to our employees.

Bus-A-Move - Cook Illinois Health Initiative

CIC provides no cost, on-site health care to our employees. Traveling board certified Nurse Practitioners oversee the clinical health of our employees by treating everything from chronic illness, ear aches and muscle strains to pink eye, sinus infections and asthma. School bus drivers run a higher risk of contracting viral and bacterial infections due to their close proximity to large numbers of children.

Bus-A-Move - Cook Illinois Health InitiativeIn addition to our mobile market, we also have a community vegetable garden. In the summer, our employees have been known to bask in the sun while they snack on sweet cherry tomatoes. They also assist in tending to the vegetable garden. At peak season, we use the vegetables in our cooking demonstrations.

In order to encourage our employees to bring their lunch from home to work, we have provided our employees with reusable lunch sacks complete with a healthy lunch. Sometime thereafter, we invite our employees to bring their lunch sack back so that we can refill it with a second healthy lunch! In order to create a healthier environment for our employees, we even work with our vending machine providers to make sure they are stocked with an array of healthy snacks and drinks.

Bus-A-Move - Cook Illinois Health Initiative      Bus-A-Move - Cook Illinois Health Initiative

Another way CIC shows our commitment to keeping our employees healthy is through our annual partnership with Walgreens to combat the flu season. Each year, Walgreens visits our 16 locations to administer flu vaccines free of charge to our employees. We average over 500 flu shots a year! These programs make being healthy convenient and attainable.

Bus-A-Move - Cook Illinois Health InitiativeCIC celebrates the beginning of a new school year by hosting our Annual Wellness Walk. The day starts with “Stuff the Bus”, an initiative in which employees give back to the community by bringing non-perishable food items to donate to Elmhurst-Yorkfield Food Pantry. Thereafter, our drivers, paras, office staff and all their family members come together for a 2.2 mile walk on the Fullersburg Woods trail. The walk ends at our corporate office where we play games, dance, eat and raffle tons of prizes!

CIC lives and breathes “Bus-A-Move!”