Presentation will be preceded by Lindsay Lawler’s new “Highway Angel” music video
Alexandria, Virginia – It’s almost time for the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, and that means that the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA) and Internet Truckstop will soon honor Marcus Beam, a professional truck driver for Greensboro, North Carolina-based Epes Transport System, Inc., as the 2011 Highway Angel of the Year. The 30,000 fans watching the presentation will also get to see Lindsay Lawler’s new music video, “Highway Angel,” which Lawler wrote and dedicated to the Highway Angel program. The game kicks off on Saturday, December 17, 2011, at 3:30 p.m. MST at Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho.
TCA Chairman Gary Salisbury, president and CEO of Fikes Truck Line, Inc., of Hope, Ark., will present the trophy to Beam, who rescued an injured mother and two children from an overturned vehicle while others stood by and refused to help. Salisbury will be accompanied on the infield by Chris Burruss, TCA’s president, and Scott Moscrip, president of Internet Truckstop, the official sponsor of the Highway Angel program. Epes Transport System, Inc., will be represented by JT Toler, director of dedicated services, and Kevin Rickansrud, vice president of operations.
“It is rare that we get a chance in life to personally thank a hero, and I am humbled to have this opportunity to recognize Marcus Beam in front of so many people,” said Salisbury. “The last two TCA chairmen told me how thrilling the moment was for them, and one even called it one of his two top life experiences. I can’t wait to make my own contribution toward honoring a selfless, heroic truck driver.”
After arriving in Boise, Beam will participate in numerous Bowl-related activities. On Thursday, December 15, he will be honored at the annual Humanitarian Awards Dinner, sponsored by Internet Truckstop. The next day, Internet Truckstop will escort Beam on a tour of the Idaho state capitol, Humanitarian Museum, and the Boise State Football Stadium. After the Bowl game and the trophy ceremony, Beam will attend a special dinner hosted by TCA in Beam’s honor.
The Famous Idaho Potato Bowl is the nation’s longest-running outdoor cold-weather bowl, played since 1997. A post-season, NCAA-sanctioned Division I FBS college football bowl game, the bowl features a top selection from the Western Athletic
Conference (WAC) and the Mid-American Conference (MAC). This year’s event features Ohio University vs. Utah State and will be televised on ESPN.
Since its inception in August 1997, the Highway Angels program has recognized hundreds of drivers for the unusual kindness, courtesy, and courage they have shown others while on the job. TCA has received letters and e-mails from people across North America nominating truck drivers for the program. To nominate a driver or read stories about previous Highway Angels, visit www.truckload.org/highway-angel. For more information on the program in general, contact TCA at (703) 838-1950 or via e-mail at Angel@truckload.org.
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