Trucker Buddy Announces May Driver of the Month

05/16/2005 12:08:28

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Waupaca, WI Laura Schmidt's special needs students at Douglas Middle School in Box Elder, South Dakota each wrote letters to nominate their Trucker Buddy, Duane Donner, as driver of the month. Their admiration for their driver is evident. "He sends us a letter every week," wrote James, who added, "He is the best trucker in the world." The 6th grade student also told us that Trucker Duane, "is the nicest man that I have ever met."

Twelve year old Joseph wrote, "I am proud to say it is an honor to [know] Trucker Duane...he is a wonderful person," and added that he would like to see his driver be honored as Trucker Buddy of the month, "from the bottom of my heart."

Laura Schmidt classes have been corresponding with Duane for the past three years, and in her nomination letter she wrote, "I cannot imagine how anyone could be more genuine, more caring or more kind," than Trucker Buddy Duane. She and her Aide, Miss Storm, include the driver in their classroom activities for the entire day, so he can eat lunch with the children and then join them for physical education class!

When Donner learned of the nomination, he said that his experience with his class was rewarding, "The biggest thing I've learned from these kids is that the small things in life are so important to them," he said, and added, "they've been born with challenges, and yet they are always happy."

Donner is a company driver for Wal-mart's Private Fleet, based in Buckeye, Arizona. He and his wife have adopted the class as their own. He makes the trip to South Dakota to visit the students and treat them to pizza and gifts during the year. Kathy Katz, Personnel Manager at the Wal-mart Distribution Center, encourages all of her drivers to become Trucker Buddies, but said "Duane has exemplified the best of the best." She said, "He has had many outstanding visits with his class, which resulted in special letters of admiration from his students and teachers."

Duane Donner has adopted two classes, and in addition to Laura Schmidt's students, he corresponds with Janice Miller's class in McIntosh, SD. He is one of 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.

Duane will receive a personalized jacket, along with other things,Trucker Buddy merchandise, compliments of MultiMedia, the advertising agency of choice for the trucking industry. He will also receive an IdleAire adaptor and a Koolatron cooler as well as Donde Publishing's "For the Long Haul," reference guide for drivers. The class will receive a CrossCountry USA game from Ingenuity Works, which will help them learn more about how trucks move freight across the continent.

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