December 2005 Trucker Buddy driver of the month
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Waupaca, WI: William is a third grade student in Ms. J. P. Robinson`s class at Oneida Elementary School in Oneida, KY. In his short life, William has already undergone four surgeries to fix his heart. Now, he is waiting for a new heart so he can run and laugh and play with the other children.
Until last year, William often talked about dying. He didn`t think he would grow to be an adult. Now, all he talks about is when he will be old enough to drive a semi! William e mails his Trucker Buddy drivers, Ralph and Sara Bundy every day and shares his fears, as well as his new life goals with them.
The Bundys, owner-operators with Landstar-Ranger, send daily e mails to the students. "Through e mails and pictures, my students have been able to see and experience things that they may never have the opportunity to do," said Ms. Robinson. The students have a personal relationship with their Trucker Buddy drivers according to Robinson, and they "have learned so much more than I could ever have taught them."
Austin is another third grade student who corresponds with the Bundys. He said that the drivers "always listen to our problems," and he added that they "see places we may never see." Austin describes his Trucker Buddy friends by saying, "we feel like we have two teachers on the road."
His teacher agrees. "With the Bundys I feel like they are an extended classroom on wheels, without recess or textbooks!," Robinson added.
Ralph & Sara Bundy have made an impact on these children by adopting their class through the Trucker Buddy program in March of 2005. They are owner-operators for Landstar Ranger and live in Manchester, KY.
They join nearly 4,000 professional drivers who share their time with elementary classes throughout the world. The only criteria to be a Trucker Buddy is to be a truck driver and willing to send a post card each week to a class in grades two through eight. Drivers and teachers can find out more about the program by visiting www.truckerbuddy.org or calling 1-800-MY BUDDY.
Each Trucker Buddy Driver of the Month will receive a personalized jacket, along with a check for $300 to spend on the class and $200 in Trucker Buddy merchandise, compliments of MultiMedia (www.tmi-multimedia.com), the advertising agency of choice for the trucking industry. They will also receive an IdleAire adaptor (www.IdleAire.com), a Koolatron cooler and a complete set of Airtabs for their tractor trailer, (www.airtab.com) as well as Donde Publishing`s "For the Long Haul," reference guide for drivers, and an Accident Photo pack. The class will receive a CrossCountry USA game from Ingenuity Works (www.ingenuityworks.com), which will help them learn more about how trucks move freight across the continent.
Trucker Buddy is dependent on corporate sponsors such as MultiMedia Advertising to fund the program. Major contributors include Diamond level: J. J. Keller & Associates, Inc., Gold Level sponsors, ArvinMeritor, American Trucking Assocation, Delphi, Freightliner, Kenworth, Penray and Wal-mart and Silver Level sponsor, Bridgestone/Firestone along with our media partners, Ramp Publishing, Gears, Guts and Glory Magazine, Randall Media, TransCore, Driving Force/rpm, IdleAire, OTR-Canada Magazine, Midnight Trucking Radio, Steve Sommers Show, Mike Ryan Motorsports, TruckDriver.com, CCJ, Riggs & Recruits, and TruckFLIX.com. Interested sponsors can contact Ellen at Trucker Buddy International or by calling 1-800-MY BUDDY.
