TORONTO, Ont. — The OTA Education Foundation is now accepting applications for a scholarship which will aid one university or college student who is the son or daughter of a professional truck driver who has been killed or seriously injured while driving a commercial vehicle on the job.

The scholarship was announced last year by the Ontario Trucking Association following the tragic death of Ontario truck driver David Virgoe in June 2007. The 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. Virgoe was called a hero by OPP officers after taking evasive action to avoid oncoming traffic as a result of a street racing incident.

An annual scholarship of 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 Jan. 1. 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 four 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.

Deadline for applications is Aug. 30. Application forms can be downloaded at www.ontruck.org/education/foundation.php#SCHOLARSHIP.

For further information, contact Betsy Sharples, executive director of the OTA Education Foundation, at education.foundation@ontruck.org.