Kindergartners hitch ride on Libertyville fire truck

Nineteen children from Kristi Patterson's Butterfield Elementary School kindergarten class were given a rare thrill Tuesday, when they hitched a ride on a fire truck.

The bright red 1946 American LaFrance fire truck, original to the Libertyville Fire Department, waited in front of the school, as the excited kids clambered aboard.

"It was taken out of service in the late 1970s, and now we just use it for parades and fire truck rides," said John Rasmussen, a 33-year fire department veteran and driver of the truck. "We give fire truck rides to every kindergarten class in Libertyville, 37 rides this year."

While waiting to take a picture of the truck with her son, Drew, Amy Snow of Libertyville said the experience was "pretty cool."

"I wanted to ride on it, such a great tradition, I love it," Snow said.