Victims of the 1976 Chowchilla kidnapping, including bus driver Ed Ray, ride on a float in a parade celebrating their rescue on Aug. 23, 1976. Cropped UCLA image under Creative Commons license https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A Central Valley city is honoring a late bus driver for his heroic actions during an infamous hostage situation.

The City of Chowchilla proclaimed Wednesday, Feb. 26 as Edward Ray Day for his actions after he and a school bus with 26 children disappeared nearly 50 years ago.

Feb. 26, 1921, was Ray’s birthday. He died on May 17, 2012.

On July 15, 1976, three armed men hijacked a school bus and abducted Day and all the children on the bus he was driving and imprisoned them in a truck trailer buried in a quarry in Livermore.

Day was 55 at the time, aiding the children in escaping after 16 hours of imprisonment.

Day became a hero as the story made national headlines. The story recently regained attention with the release of “Chowchilla” a CNN documentary detailing the ordeal.

Day, described as a private, hardworking man, was reportedly embarrassed by the attention flung on him by the media.

A granite monument dedicated to the victims is located adjacent to the Chowchilla Police Department to mark where the children were reunited with their families.

On Feb. 26, 2015, the city renamed and dedicated its largest park as Edward Ray Park.

The perpetrators of the bus high jacking and kidnapping were James Schoenfeld, Richard Schoenfeld and Frederick Newhall Woods IV, and were convicted in 1977.

All three have been paroled as of 2022.

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Chowchilla cattle drive Friday, Feb. 28

The annual Chowchilla Cattle Drive makes its thunderous return down Robertson Boulevard this Friday at 10 a.m. This iconic event that began
in 1958, marks the official kickoff of the Chowchilla Stampede at the Chowchilla Fairgrounds, running through March 2.

Hundreds line main street to watch local ranchers and their herds on a cattle drive to celebrate Chowchilla’s deep agricultural roots, setting the stage for a weekend packed with community festivities.

Spectators are encouraged to arrive early along Robertson Boulevard to catch the action. The weekend events include many team roping activities attracting contestants from all over the western United States.