Fleet Advantage returned for a seventh straight year to sponsor the annual kids essay contest at the 2023 International Foodservice Distributor Association’s (IFDA) National Championship, where companies and families showed their appreciation for truck drivers and warehouse equipment operators. The event was held at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress in Orlando from Oct. 12 – 14.

The IFDA National Championship is an event for foodservice distribution drivers to compete and showcase their driving and safety skills. This year, a new warehouse competition took place concurrently with the annual truck driving competition, which provided an opportunity for pallet jack and reach truck operators to showcase their safety skills and excellence.

“We are extremely proud of our nation’s drivers and operators, and we have long believed that it’s important to recognize the daily sacrifices these families make for our economy,” Katerina Jones, chief marketing officer for Fleet Advantage, said. “Our core values include building strong communities, and truck drivers, operators and their families are a large part of America’s community fabric, so it’s important to let them know how important they are each and every day.”

Fleet Advantage is the inaugural co-organizer and has been a sponsor and judge of the event’s annual kids essay contest for the past seven years, where children of participants are given the opportunity to share why they are proud of their driver.

“On behalf of IFDA, we express our sincere gratitude to Fleet Advantage for their unwavering support of the kids contest for the National Championship,” Lisa Broyhill, vice president of industry relations for the International Foodservice Distributor Association, said. “We deeply appreciate and highly value the company’s substantial contribution to our organization and the foodservice industry we proudly represent.”

After judging many outstanding essays that demonstrated exceptional writing skills, it was determined that Marco Escribano (16, parent Luis Escribano driving for Sysco) won first place in the 14 to 17 age range, while Abigail Reynolds (13, parent Eric Reynolds driving for PFG) and Annabelle Phillips (8, parent John Phillips driving for PFG) won first place in the 11 to 13 and eight to 10 age ranges, respectively. These young minds showcased remarkable creativity in sharing why they are proud of their driver and operator parents’ commitments to the distribution of everyday goods and services.

“There is a hero in my family, and this is my daddy,” Annabelle Phillips said in her essay. “He always says I can be anything I want to be. He works hard and I listen to him because he’s my hero.”

“A hero is someone who inspires us, protects us and helps us in our darkest times,” Abigail Reynolds said in her essay. “My driver and hero is my dad because of these reasons and many more. He has always loved and supported me throughout my life and is always hard-working and determined.”

In addition to the essay contest, children seven and under partook in a “Draw Your Hero” contest. Mason Woodward, son of Renzi Foodservice driver Jesse Woodward, won this year.

Fleet Advantage and its Kids Around The Corner Foundation (KATC) continue to recognize the need to build and support communities around drivers and their families.