Tabita van der Geer was worried this would be her first Christmas away from home. (CBC)

A P.E.I. ballet student was able to spend Christmas with her family thanks to some help from a local trucking company.

Tabita van der Geer, 14, is attending the Quinte Ballet School of Canada in Belleville, Ont., and it looked like she wasn't going to be able to come home for Christmas. With the cost of tuition at the school, the family could not afford to buy her a ticket home.

But then Tabita's father thought to call Seafood Express, a trucking company he used to work for, and they were glad to help. The company carries a lot more than seafood, but not many ballet dancers.

"Not very often," said outbound dispatcher Robin Roach. "Usually potatoes and french fries and produce."

Tabita was thrilled to hear a way home had been arranged for her.

"I was really happy and excited," she said. "It would have been my first Christmas away from home."

A difficult drive

Doris Potthast thought weather might force them to stop on Christmas Eve. (CBC)

The job was given to Doris Potthast, who juggled her route to swing past the ballet school on her way back to P.E.I. Potthast was thinking they had lots of time, but the weather through Quebec and New Brunswick slowed them down.

"I was always afraid that we couldn't make it and had to stop and, yeah, probably celebrate Christmas Eve on the road," she said.

"But we finally made it."

Tabita was dropped off Christmas Eve at her mother's front door in Charlottetown after a 17-hour drive.

"I ran into the driveway," said Xandra van der Geer. There was a lot of snow, but I was running to the driveway and I hugged her a lot."

Weather and schedules permitting, Tabita will get a ride back to school on another big rig in the new year.