A driver from New York and a teacher from Kentucky today, April 1, were honored by Trucker Buddy International during the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville.
Randy Schwarzenburg, outstanding driver Michael Rexford and Trucker Buddy President K.C. Brau.Michael Rexford, a company driver for Regal Services located in Ripley, NY, was named the organization’s outstanding trucker of the year. Rexford is a Trucker Buddy for Jina Newman’s classroom of special needs children at Lincoln Elementary School in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Tammy Egnew, a teacher at Salem Elementary School in Russell Springs, Kentucky was named the group’s outstanding teacher of the year. Hal Swords, who drives for EPBS Transport System, is the classroom’s Trucker Buddy.
Trucker Buddy Hal Swords, outstanding teacher Tammy Egnew and Randy Schwarzenburg.“If it wasn’t for drivers like Hal and teachers like Tammy, we couldn’t do what we do,” said Schwartzenburg.
Trucker Buddy International pairs drivers with school classrooms. Drivers correspond from the road, and with the children write back.
Also at the press conference, Trucker Budddy International’s Executive Direcytor Randy Schwartzenburg also recapped a program that paired a Meritor plant in South Carolina with a school in its community.
Schwartzenburg also gave an update on a partnership with PeopleNet Communications, which contributed $500 each to 19 schools around the country, and one in Uganda, Africa.
Randy Schwarzenburg shows off a letter of appreciation from a Trucker Buddy classroom.Also at the press conference, Schwartzenberg also recognized three outgoing members of the group’s board of directors. Exiting after eight years of service are Elizabeth Barna of American Trucking Association, Mark Redding of the Owner Operators Independent Drivers Association and Kellie “K.C.” Brau, the group’s president.
At the event was Linda Caffeee, a team driver with her husband Bob. She is a Trucker Buddy for three schools in France. The couple plan on visiting these schools in May.
