Making a difference is one of life’s great joys. Choosing now to participate in The ATSS Foundation Planned Giving program will touch lives for generations.

The ATSS Foundation Planned Giving program helps sustain The Foundation’s mission and provides a way to support the dependents of roadway workers killed or permanently disabled on the job.

Planned giving, which is philanthropy that involves estate and financial planning, also offers benefits to the donor by reducing taxes.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (June 2, 2021) – The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation awarded 11 Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarships to college and university students for the 2021-22 academic year. The Foundation also awarded two Chuck Bailey Memorial Scholarships for the upcoming academic year.

This year’s scholarship list includes two pairs of siblings: Cameron and Katie Hutt of Cleveland, Tenn., and Marcie and Maycie Walker of Dry Ridge, Ky.

The Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program was started in 2002 to provide financial assistance for post-high school education to dependents of roadway workers killed or permanently disabled in roadway work zones. The program is competitive and provides scholarships valued up to $10,000 per student each year. The program has awarded $348,000 since its inception.

At a regional event in Michigan two years ago, Rachel Snell met Dave Krahulec, chair of The ATSS Foundation Board, and asked if the Foundation had any materials she could use with her students.

She wanted to teach them about the importance of work zone safety, thinking that if they started at a young age, the message would be remembered when they got old enough for a driver’s license. They also could share it with their parents and encourage them to be alert when approaching and passing through a roadway work zone.

This week, Krahulec delivered 250 of the Foundation’s youth activity books to her when he traveled to Michigan for the national kickoff event for National Work Zone Awareness Week.

That's when the widow of a roadway worker found out her idea had inspired their creation.

Generous support from PPG/Ennis-Flint, 3M and Ver-Mac made a significant difference for The ATSS Foundation as it started 2021.

The Foundation was forced to cancel its two biggest fundraisers of the year due to COVID-19 restrictions so the assistance from the companies during ATSSA’s recent Convention & Traffic Expo makes a big impact, said Foundation Director Lori Diaz.

Traditionally, The Foundation holds its golf and sporting clays events in conjunction with the Convention but the Convention was forced to move to an online platform as a result of the pandemic, which also meant the two popular events weren’t held.

ATSSA member Ver-Mac is auctioning two roadway safety products with all money raised going to The ATSS Foundation.

Bidding is now open and the auction runs through Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. EST.

The items being auctioned are:

• A PCMS-1500 Pro Series G3 portable changeable message sign that can be used for highway construction, smart work zones and special events.
• A Smart Arrowboard -25 LED, which is a trailer-mounted arrow board that can be used for highway construction, utility work, smart work zones and by departments of transportation (DOTs).