Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
1 NW OOIDA Drive, Grain Valley, MO  64029
Web site: www.ooida.com
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Contact: Norita Taylor, norita_taylor@ooida.com 
Headquarters: (816) 229-5791

For Immediate Release

OOIDA Announces 2011 Scholarship Recipients

(Grain Valley, Mo., July 8, 2011) – The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has chosen recipients for the 2011-12 Mary Johnston Scholarship and proudly announces the names along with sponsor Shell Rotella.

The application process challenged applicants to compose a 500-word essay about how a trucker has influenced their lives, the way that their educational goals reflect their personalities and suggestions for how OOIDA can improve the public image of professional truck drivers.

Scholarships are available for children, grandchildren and legal dependents of OOIDA members. Shell Rotella donated $10,000 to the scholarship fund for the second year in a row. The scholarship fund also received a contribution of $2,000 from an anonymous donor who has supported the fund in the past.

	Dillon Disterhoft of Oxford, Iowa, is this year’s winner. He receives a $2,000 scholarship for his first year of school, which he can renew for another three years for a total amount of $8,000. He plans to major is diesel agriculture technology. He is the son of OOIDA Member Paul Bryan Disterhoft. He will attend Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, IA.
Winners of the four $1,000 scholarships this year, in alphabetical order, are:
	Chris Fries of Meridian, Idaho. Chris will major in political science at Boise State University. He is the son of OOIDA Member Chris J. Fries.
	Christopher Hilger of Bloomer, Wisc. Christopher will major in mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin at Platteville. He is the son of OOIDA Member Jeff Hilger.
	Garrett Shannon Lee of Portales, New Mexico. Garrett plans to major in animal science at New Mexico State University. He is the grandson of OOIDA Member James D. Turner.
	Ashley Reich of Versailles, Ill. She plans obtain her doctorate in pharmacy at St. Louis College of Pharmacy. She is the daughter of OOIDA Member Rick Joseph Reich. Ashley is the second child in her family chosen to receive a scholarship.

Runner up for the $1,000 scholarship is Mark Harris Jr. of Floyd, Virginia. He plans to major in biology/chemistry at Emory & Henry College. He is the son of OOIDA Senior Member Mark Harris Sr.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is the largest national trade association representing the interests of small-business trucking professionals and professional truck drivers. The Association currently has nearly 151,000 members nationwide. OOIDA was established in 1973 and is headquartered in the greater Kansas City, Mo., area.

1 NW OOIDA Dr.
Grain Valley, MO 64029
e-mail: ooida@ooida.com
Website: ooida.com

Fax (816) 427-4468
Local (816) 229-5791
Toll Free (800) 444-5791

OOIDA Foundation Scholarship Program