OTAEF News Highlights From 2009

“In spite of the tough economic times confronting our industry, we were able to raise almost 60% of our donation target”, said Scott Smith, chairman of the OTA Education Foundation in a speech to Ontario Trucking Association delegates today. “To those companies who helped us celebrate our 50th anniversary by generously sending a donation our way, I would like to say thank you. Your generosity has helped us to continue our work of disbursing scholarships to students of parents who working the trucking industry”.

Smith also extended a public thank you to Mrs. Debbie Virgoe who selected the OTA Education Foundation to be the official charity of the 3rd Annual David Virgoe Memorial Golf Tournament and Silent Auction, which was held this past August.

For the 2009/2010 academic year, the Foundation handed out nearly $45,000 in scholarships to university and college students with ties to the Ontario trucking industry. “However”, continued Smith, “it is always difficult to turn away deserving applications due to funding limitations. With the support of all OTA members – large and small – we hope to give out even more scholarships next year”.

“This is a great opportunity for TST Overland Express”, says Rob O’Reilly, the Mississauga-based company’s president. “We are so pleased to be able to help two very deserving students who have demonstrated their commitment to an education in what we think is a very important field”. The students will be selected by the college based on their academic performance in their first year of the program.

The TST Overland Express International Transportation and Customs scholarships will be awarded annually and are funded by an endowed fund administered by the OTA Education Foundation Inc.

“Bud Barr will always be remembered by those who worked with him during his tenure with the Education Foundation as an individual who took on his position with heart and soul” says Scott Smith, of J. D. Smith and Sons and the Foundation’s current chairman and a member of the board for many of the years that Bud worked for the Foundation. “I think that he really got a kick out of handing out scholarships to students of the Ontario trucking industry, and he certainly wasn’t shy about going after the industry for the much needed donations to fund the scholarship program”.

“This is a sad day for all of us” says George Ledson, long-term director for the Foundation and president of Cavalier Transportation Services. Bud certainly had is heart in the right place, and he really cared about the Foundation, its scholarship program, and most of all, the students”.

A funeral mass will take place at 1:30 on Tuesday October 20, 2009 at St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church, 379 Division Street North, Cobourg. Contributions may be made by cheque to the OTA Education Foundation, Inc., the charity chosen by the family to houour Bud’s memory.

“This scholarship is a reflection of exactly what we were trying to accomplish at Trailcon”, says Al Boughton, president of Trailcon Leasing in Mississauga. “We wanted our scholarship to go to a deserving student each year who takes his or her education seriously. The scholarship eligibility criteria require that the student demonstrate a commitment to his or her education. At the same time, we want to make sure that, in this environment of escalating education fees, the student is also in need of some financial assistance”. Conestoga College will use established criteria to assess applicants’ financial needs.

The Trailcon Leasing Trailer Service Technician Scholarship will be awarded annually and is funded by an endowed fund administered by the OTA Education Foundation, Inc.

“This is really good news for the Foundation” says chairman Scott Smith, who is also president of J. D. Smith & Sons. “The Foundation is a small organization with a very big heart, so any opportunity that we have to increase our funding is a welcome one. This means that the Foundation can assist more students with their university and college tuition fees and other related costs”.

Proceeds from the tournament and silent auction will be used to fund OTA Education Foundation scholarships for students of parents who work in Ontario’s trucking industry. The golf tournament serves as a tribute to the late David Virgoe, a truck driver and truck hero who lost his life after taking evasive action to avoid oncoming traffic caused by street racers on Highway400 in June, 2007.

The 3rd Annual David Virgoe Memorial Golf Tournament and Silent Auction will take place on Saturday August 29, 2009 at the Harbourview Golf & Country Club in Gilford, Ontario. For more information, and to register, contact Debbie Virgoe at (705) 423-9223.

“I think that this is a really good fit”, says Debbie Virgoe, the wife of the late David Virgoe and organizer of this year’s charity event. “David placed a great deal of importance on education, and the OTA Education Foundation, with its ties to children of parents who work in the trucking industry, is the type of charity that we want this tournament’s proceeds to go to”.

“We certainly feel both honoured and privileged to have been selected by the tournament’s organizers to be the official charity for this year’s tribute to Mr. Virgoe” says Scott Smith, chairman of the OTA Education Foundation. “While the story behind this event is truly a sad one, the silver lining is that several Ontario university and college students will benefit from the generosity of those who participate in this event”.

The 3rd Annual David Virgoe Memorial Golf Tournament and Silent Auction will take place on Saturday August 29, 2009 at the Harbourview Golf & Country Club in Gilford, Ontario. Proceeds from the tournament and silent auction will be used to fund OTA Education Foundation scholarships for students of parents who work in Ontario’s trucking industry. For more information, and to register, contact Debbie Virgoe at (705) 423-9223.

An annual scholarship up to $1,600 is available for an applicant as selected by the OTA Education Foundation. To be considered for the 2008/2009 academic year, applicants must be enrolled in or registered to attend a recognized Canadian university or college on a full-time basis, and be under the age of 25 as of January 1, 2008. The student must also be the child of a professional driver (employee or owner-operator) who has died or been seriously injured as a direct result of his/her driving occupation within the previous five years. The application process also requires the inclusion of letters from both the student applicant as well as the employer/carrier of the applicant’s parent. Details are provided in the application.

Following the tragic death of Ontario truck driver David Virgoe in June 2007, OTA announced it was putting up $40,000 to establish a perpetual scholarship for children of Ontario truck drivers who are killed or seriously injured while driving on the job. Mr. Virgoe was called a hero by OPP officers after taking evasive action to avoid oncoming traffic as a result of a street racing incident.

“The endowed scholarship component is now an integral part of the Foundation’s overall scholarship program”, says Betsy Sharples, the Foundation’s executive director. “We now offer a wide array of scholarships that reflect the priorities and values of the companies that endowed these funds and then worked with us in developing several unique scholarship opportunities”.

Parents and students are urged to review the endowed scholarships for which application forms are available.

Bison Transport Scholarship
Parents and students are urged to review the endowed scholarships for which application forms are available. For more information and to download application forms, go to http://www.ontruck.org/education/foundation.php.

The Erb Group of Companies "Service to Community" Scholarship
Awarded to a first-year post-secondary student enrolled in a recognized college or university, who demonstrates a commitment to his/her community, through his/her involvement in community and/or charitable volunteer work.

Glasvan Great Dane Truck-Trailer Service Technician Scholarship
Awarded to two students who are enrolled in either a traditional apprenticeship or dual (co-op) credential apprenticeship truck-trailer service technician program.

J.D. Smith & Sons “Leaders of Tomorrow” Scholarship
Awarded to a university student who demonstrates a commitment to his/her community, school or other volunteer undertaking while demonstrating exemplary leadership qualities.

OTA Allied Trades Division Scholarships
Awarded to one university student and one college student, who have completed at least one year of post-secondary education, and who has demonstrated a strong commitment to his/her academic performance.

OTA Professional Driver Memorial Scholarship Award
Awarded in the memory of a true truck hero, David Virgoe, who lost his life in a crash caused by street racers, for children of Ontario truck drivers who are killed or seriously injured on the road.

In addition, the following endowed scholarships have been established in conjunction with specific education institutions such as high schools and colleges. Winners are selected by the schools’ respective selection committees:

Don Anderson Haulage Business Scholarship/Don Anderson Haulage Technology Scholarship
Awarded to two students graduating from Stouffville District Secondary School who are pursuing educations in business or technology at the college level.

Grant’s Transport Math Scholarship
Awarded to the top university-bound math student graduating from Timiskaming District Secondary School.

Trailcon Leasing Truck-Trailer Service Technician Scholarship
Awarded to two students each year who are enrolled in the Truck Trailer Service Co-op program at Conestoga College Institute of technology and Advanced Learning.

TST Overland Express International Transportation and Customs Scholarship
Awarded to two students entering their second year in Seneca College’s International Transportation and Customs diploma program.

All endowed scholarships are awarded annually and are funded by endowed funds administered by the OTA Education Foundation.

In order to be eligible for the scholarships, students must provide proof of acceptance into a recognized full-time program at an approved university or college, be 25 years of age or under as of January 1, 2009, and be sponsored by an Ontario trucking company or trucking services/supply company that employs or contracts a parent of the applicant. In addition, students must submit a brief essay that answers a question about the trucking industry. While the same application form can be used to apply for the J.O. Goodman and C.V. Hoar awards, there are some additional requirements. Applications for the J.O. Goodman and C.V. Hoar awards are assessed on criteria which include academic achievement, service to community, and extra -curricular activities. Winners are chosen by the Foundation’s Selection Committee.

The OTA Education Foundation college and university scholarships as well as the J.O. Goodman and C.V. Hoar awards are funded through donations that are received primarily from trucking and trucking related companies, for which tax receipts are issued. The number of scholarships disbursed each year is dependent, in part, on the amount received in donations for that year.

The Student Scholarship Application Package for the2009/2010 Academic Year contains complete information and instructions, along with all the necessary forms for the general scholarships, as well as the J.O. Goodman and C.V. Hoar awards.

“We view this as a great opportunity to be a positive corporate citizen in our local community”, notes Don Anderson, president of Don Anderson Haulage of Stouffville, Ontario. “Each year, two high-achieving students from our local high school will get much-needed financial assistance tohelp them with their studies in two programs that offer great career opportunities in the trucking and virtually any other industry”. The scholarships will be awarded for the first time this year during Stouffville District Secondary School’s commencement ceremony.

The Don Anderson Haulage Technology and the Don Anderson Haulage Business Scholarships will be awarded annually and are funded by an endowed fund administered by the OTA Education Foundation Inc.

“We are really excited about these new scholarship opportunities” says George Cobham, president of Glasvan Great Dane Sales Inc. of Mississauga and long-time supporter of the OTA Education Foundation. “For years, we have been concerned about the low number of students entering apprenticeship programs to become truck-trailer technicians. We hope that these scholarship opportunities will encourage a few more young people to take a closer look at this great career opportunity”.

Glasvan Great Dane is recognized as Ontario’s provider of new Great Dane vans, reefers and flat-deck trailers. Glasvan’s five locations house new and used equipment, along with full service parts and maintenance departments.

The Glasvan Great Dane scholarships will be awardedannually and are funded by an endowed fund administered by the OTA Education Foundation, Inc. Both scholarship winners will be selected by the OTA Education Foundation Selection Committee and/or the college’s apprentice program coordinator.

Under the program, an anonymous donor will match any donations contributed to the Foundation until June 30, 2009 – up to $50,000. “We believe that this opportunity is too good to turn off the switch at this time” says Foundation chairman Scott Smith who is also president of J. D. Smith and Sons.

“We recognize that the downturn in the economy may have had an impact on our ability to reach our goal by March 31st, so we feel very fortunate that our campaign partner has agreed to extend the deadline to June 30th. We are hopeful that the trucking industry will step up and help us reach our $50,000 goal, so that it can be matched by another $50,000 as a way of marking 50 years of helping post-secondary students”.

The OTA Education Foundation awards several scholarships each year to students who are children of parents who work in the trucking industry. Carrier and allied trade companies are encouraged to market these scholarship opportunities to their employees and full-time sub-contractors.

“As a company, we have been a strong supporter of the Foundation and its scholarship programs for a very long time”, notes George Ledson, a Foundation director and president of Cavalier Transportation Services. “Our company has several employees whose children have received Foundation scholarships over the years. We always make a point of promoting the scholarships to our workers. That’s why I felt that it was important to start this campaign off with a sizeable donation during the luncheon at OTA’s convention last November. I challenge my industry colleagues to follow suit with whatever they are able to contribute, and take advantage of this one-time opportunity to double their donations at no extra cost”.

Carriers and service supply companies are encouraged to donate to the Foundation before June 30, 2009.