Money leaves bus aide speechless

GREECE, N.Y. (WIVB) - Friday morning thousands of people from all over the country and world have donated almost half a million dollars to a fund set up for Karen Klein, the school bus aide who was bullied in Greece, New York.

It's a number that's left Karen speechless and shocked. The man behind it all, Max Sidorov, of Ontario, is one of the millions of people who saw the disturbing Karen Klein bus video. It shocked him.

Then he decided to do something for the 68-year-old grandmother of eighth and bus aide. He set up a fund to send Karen on vacation.

Sidorov said, “I just want people to focus on the good and what can happen from this. What we're doing is great, so let's continue with the good.”

Sidorov set up a page on a website that collects donations for causes including business start ups.

His goal was to raise $5,000 enough to pay for a dream vacation. But what happened next seemed like a dream, pledges kept coming in over two days the fund collected hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Klein said, “I want to retire, and if I get all my bills paid then I can.”

When News 4 spoke with Karen's son Brian on the phone Thursday he told me that his mother has been getting thousands of letters, Facebook messages and friend requests. He said everything has been very overwhelming. Karen told News 4, after everything that's happened, she just wants to take a nap.