Some graduation gifts are a dime a dozen.
But 17-year-old Violet Cayton's turned out to be priceless, the result of her mom's love, dedication and a collection of more than $5,000 worth of dimes that added up for over more than a decade.
Violet's mom, Cari Mae Bulthuis, started planning for the celebratory graduation trip when her only child was just 4 years old. The idea came to the single mother 13 years ago when Bulthuis saw an article about Hawaii with the phrase, "Paradise for Pennies."
"It had this beautiful picture of the palm tree and the ocean," said Bulthuis. "I crossed it out and put 'Dimes.'"
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Bulthuis gathered most of the dimes from tips at her job as a server at Abby's Cafe in the Riverside County community of Hemet.
"At the end of the shift, I would sometimes trade out a dollar for dimes so I could add to the collection," Bulthuis said. "A lot of customers would leave me handfuls of dimes for the collection.
"I did every single shift for my girl. It's what we do as a parent. You just want to be able to give to them."
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That collection steadily increased over the years. Bulthuis' father rolled up the dimes and kept them safe at his Fallbrook home.
"Her daughter is her only child and going to college, and it's a nice way to send your kid off to college," said cafe co-worker Katie Bertram.
Violet graduated in May from West Valley High School with several honors, including Student Athlete of the Year and prom queen. The day after graduation, Bulthuis took the dimes to her bank to cash in.
The grand total: $5,665.
"That's an intense amount," Violet said. "Even her stories about the hostesses not believing, I always thought of Hawaii as this really expensive land and it is.
"I'm very grateful," Violet said. "I love my mom so much."
Bulthuis and Violet are set to depart in July for Oahu on a seven-day trip. It will be the first trip to Hawaii for both mother and daughter.
