According to the Center for Disease Control, from 2003 to 2020, 2,222 workers lost their lives at road construction sites – an average of 123 per year. These tragic accidents leave loved ones, including children, behind.

In 2001, Texas Department of Transportation veteran Greg Jares lost his life doing a job he loved. He was killed while performing routine maintenance on a road project. Fortunately, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) Transportation Development Foundation was there to help his two daughters, Jenna and Kristen, via the Lanford Family Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program. Established in 1999, this first-of-its-kind initiative provides post-high school financial assistance to the children of highway workers killed or permanently disabled on the job.

Jenna, a multi-year scholarship recipient majoring in occupational therapy in Texas, recently wrote: “The scholarship has made a huge impact on my education throughout my college career and has helped me in so many ways. It has helped pay for my tuition, books, and other academic necessities in my four years at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. Thank you to all the donors and supporters who make this scholarship possible.”

To date, more than 200 scholarships have been awarded. The ARTBA Foundation is working to identify new students who could be eligible for the scholarship program during the 2023-24 academic year. If you are aware of a family that would benefit from this program, please have them contact ARTBA’s Melanie Laird at mlaird@artba.org or 202.683.1029.