Buxmont Transportation Surprises Maple Glen Resident on 100th Birthday

Peg Fitch celebrated her birthday on 2-16-12.

But she wasn’t born yesterday.

In fact, Mrs. Fitch was born on Feb. 16, 1912, and celebrated her 100^th birthday this year. That was two months before the maiden voyage of the Titanic, but Fitch's own journey is still steaming along.

For the past 20 years, Fitch has been living with her family in Maple Glen. It wasn't until this past July that she finally stopped working, but not by choice. At the age of 99, Fitch was dutifully showing up for work as a customer service representative for the Philadelphia Inquirer, before her department was laid off.

Fitch said she likes being active and mobile and has relied, for the past 20 years, on BuxMont Transportation Services to get her to her favorite destinations.

One such destination is her nearly weekly Friday morning visits to the Wyndmoor-based hair salon Hair We Are.

This morning, just a little early for her usual hairdresser pickup appointment, representatives of BuxMont Transportation gave her a surprise birthday greeting.

When Mrs. Fitch walked out her Maple Glen residence, she was all smiles as the BuxMont Transportation representatives bestowed upon her balloons, flowers, a cake and a card signed by the transportation drivers who have come to know Fitch over the years.

“I don’t know what I’d do without them,” Fitch said. “The drivers are so friendly.”

She called the surprise fabulous.

“She’s  an amazing lady,” Ed Connolly, a five year employee of BuxMont Transportation, said. “She has a great sense of humor, is incredibly active, and a pleasure to be around – at any age.”

During her ride to the Wyndmoor salon, in which Connolly was the driver, several other transportation drivers expressed their well-wishes over the dispatch radio for Mrs. Fitch to hear.

According to BuxMont Transportation’s chief operating officer, Mike Valenza, who attended the morning's celebration, it was important for the transportation company to celebrate Mrs. Fitch’s 100th birthday.

He explained that she has not only been a faithful customer for over two decades, but also for the impressive fact that she has reached such a milestone in her life.

“I hope I’m just as active when I’m at 100,” Valenza said, and jokingly added, “I’m hoping to be that active at 70.”

According to Valenza, Fitch participates in the BuxMont Transportation’s para-transit service. Within this service, BuxMont Transportation works with another Montgomery County-based transportation company, TransNet.

According to Valenza, TransNet helps coordinate para-transit riders, such as Fitch, to be included in the Share Ride program, which provides a significant discount for participants.

The program’s discounts go to participants that share transportation vehicles with other riders along their destination routes, and is heavily subsidized through the proceeds of the Pennsylvania Lottery.

According to Fitch’s daughter, Jan Jones, the service is invaluable.

“BuxMont is probably the best-kept secret in Pennsylvania ... helping to give rides to seniors,” Jones, said. “It’s made my mother completely independent.”

Before heading off to the hairdressers, Fitch was asked the secret to a long and healthy life.

“I don’t know,” she said with a smile. “I guess it’s just my family’s good genes.”

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For more information about BuxMont Transportation, visit buxmonttrans.com/.

For more information about the Share Ride Program, visit www.suburbantransit.org