Kenworth teams with Trucker Buddy to present 2005 calendar

In 1993, Professional Driver, Gary King asked his children’s teacher if he could send post cards to their class in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. The teacher agreed to have the students correspond with Mr. King, and Trucker Buddy was born.

Since then, the program has expanded across the globe and includes nearly four thousand drivers matched with nearly 80,000 children annually. Each week these caring drivers send post cards to their assigned classes, and are rewarded with cards, letters and drawings from their students.

Kenworth Truck Company has been helping the organization succeed from the very beginning.

Since 1993, Kenworth has been a major contributor to the Trucker Buddy program and continues to support the goals and efforts by providing funds each year. “We are proud of our long-standing relationship with Trucker Buddy,” said Steve Gilligan, Kenworth’s General Marketing Manager, “and we respect Trucker Buddy and its many members for their efforts to work with children and enhance their education.”

This past year Kenworth sponsored a coloring contest for students in the Trucker Buddy program. Twelve drawings were chosen from the hundreds of entries, and each of these children will have their artwork featured on a 2005 calendar that will be available from Trucker Buddy.

“Many of our drivers have asked us for something like this, and we are pleased in not only the quantity of the drawings, but in the quality of the artwork,” said Ellen Voie, Trucker Buddy’s Executive Director. The drawings depict Kenworth trucks, but many include safety messages the drivers have taught their students. The calendar will be treasured by many of the drivers, teachers and students who correspond with one another through their participation in Trucker Buddy.

“The calendar program was an idea that Trucker Buddy wanted to pursue and we were happy that our contributions could help make it happen,” added Gilligan, “The growth of Trucker Buddy speaks volumes about the integrity of the organization overall.”

Kenworth Truck Company (www.kenworth.com) is a leading *manufacturer of heavy and medium duty trucks, and recently received the 2004 J.D. Power and Associates award for Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Vocational Segment Class 8 Trucks.

The calendars feature some of the new models along with the children’s drawings, and will be available only from Trucker Buddy. Calendars will be given to any individual or corporation making a charitable contribution to the program through the end of the year. Trucker Buddy is a non-profit corporation and is dependant upon the generosity of those who wish to further their mission through the donations.

< Back