Share the Road Helps Space Shuttle Blast Off to Memorial Day Parade

News provided by

Jun 01, 2010, 02:34 ET

ARLINGTON, Va., June 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The national Share the Road highway safety program was in Allentown, Pa. last week, assisting Mack Trucks and the Parkland School District in transporting the Blake shuttle to the National Memorial Day Parade. The Blake Space Shuttle, a quarter-scale replica of the NASA space shuttle Challenger, was created by Mack Trucks and the Parkland School District 20 years ago as a learning tool for students.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100129/ATALOGO)

Space Shuttle Blake began as Schnecksville Elementary teacher Bob Boehmer's passion more than two decades ago. Since being converted from an old school bus into a driveable space shuttle mock-up by Mack employees and retirees, the Blake has provided hands-on learning about space exploration and technology to more than 4,000 children throughout the Lehigh Valley. The Blake Shuttle was invited to participate in the 2010 National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C. with a grand send-off from Allentown, Pa. last Thursday.

Share the Road Professional Drivers Eddie Hosegood (Publix Supermarkets) and Frank Silio (Covenant Transport) brought a combined 26 years and 3.5 million miles of accident-free driving experience to the shuttle move. Their veteran driver's perspective ensured that the shuttle blast-off was a success. To see photos of from the Allentown send-off, click here.

Share the Road Professional Driver Jerry Charron (Con-way Freight) took the controls of the shuttle during the 2010 National Memorial Day Parade. Jerry piloted the shuttle through D.C.'s National Mall and shared one of the shuttle's last trips with parade attendees. To see photos of the shuttle in the National Memorial Day Parade, click here. To see a video of Jerry discussing the move, click here.

Special thanks to Comdata, who provided logistical support during the Blake Space Shuttle move.

Share the Road is a highway safety outreach program of the American Trucking Associations that educates all drivers about sharing the roads safely with large trucks. An elite team of professional truck drivers with millions of accident-free miles delivers life-saving messages to millions of motorists annually. The safety program is sponsored by Mack Trucks, Inc. and Michelin North America, Inc. www.atastr.org

The American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of other trucking groups, industry-related conferences, and its 50 affiliated state trucking associations, ATA represents more than 37,000 members covering every type of motor carrier in the United States. www.truckline.com

SOURCE American Trucking Associations