When Ben and Ruth Hunter signed on as custodians at Lakeview Academy in 1979, the married couple had no idea they'd still be there 30 years later.

They found they liked the feel of Gainesville. And the children at the school were just so sweet, Ruth Hunter said.

As the Hunters vacuum, buff floors and stack chairs in the academy's multiple buildings year after year, they've listened to students' problems and given advice, encouraged them to stick with school and pepped them up for their next big game.

"It's just cleaning and doing it until the job is done," Ruth Hunter said. "It's based on love. It's a family at Lakeview Academy. It's like a lovely family working together. It's true."

The Hunters have seen generations of children grow up and graduate, but are tight-lipped about their age and how long they've been married.

"We've been married a long time, I'll just say that," Ruth Hunter said.

"Forever," said her husband.

The parents of six children said their marriage and custodial careers are a success because of the love and faith they share with each other and with students. Lakeview kids' annual day of appreciation for the Hunters is evidence the married couple has touched the hearts of many.

Although students likely groan when asked to clean their own rooms at home, each year students give the Hunters a day off, and clean the whole school themselves.

"The kids always volunteer to help. You'd be surprised," Ben Hunter said. "... Last (Wednesday) night I had a little boy who asked if he could help me stack chairs. His mom said, ‘He doesn't do anything at home, but at least I'm glad he's doing something somewhere else.'"

Lakeview students and teachers recently went beyond their annual day of thanks and held a party for the Hunters celebrating their 30 years of service at Lakeview. Students presented the couple with three cakes bearing their pictures, and ushered them to the football game, which is a rare treat for the custodians who often work late into the evening on Fridays.

"The kids cleaned so we could go to the football game," Ben Hunter said. "They had special seats with cushions for us and they escorted us in and recognized us before the game."

Ruth Hunter said she and her husband are grateful to the students and teachers who organized the celebration.

"I was so excited I couldn't even eat my cake," she said. "They did a beautiful job. It's a beautiful school and there's beautiful people here."

Ruth Hunter said she and her husband's lives revolve around love, and they're glad to share it with students.

"Love. That's the key to it," she said. "I'm all for that word. That's what it's all about."