By Pam Pollock
In our June edition of Movin’ Out we wrote about Professional Truck Driver Earl Evans’ endeavors to raise money for Alissa Boyle.  On February 20, 2012, Alissa Boyle of Salem, Ohio, a Waynesburg University Senior Nursing Student, sustained life altering injuries when she and her passenger Cami Abernethy, also a nursing student at Waynesburg, stopped to assist the driver of a vehicle who had fallen asleep and crashed on an overpass on I-79 in Pennsylvania. 
Alissa and Cami were in route to Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, West Virginia for their senior clinical at the time.  They were able to provide assistance, helping the driver exit the vehicle.  It was 6:15 in the morning, still dark, and difficult to see anything that headlights didn’t expose when the three faced a tractor-trailer heading directly towards them.  Alissa, Cami and the rescue victim made a split decision to jump from the overpass to avoid being struck by the truck.  The 50-foot fall has left Alissa with a severe spinal cord injury and she is unable to walk.  Alissa had become engaged to a member of the U.S. Military just prior to the accident.  Optimistic about her recovery, Alissa was determined to graduate from college and work as a registered nurse, despite being given a one percent chance to walk by her doctors. (We are happy to report that Alissa did indeed graduate from college!)

Costs associated with the care of a patient with a spinal cord injury are substantial.  To help with the expenses, Professional Truck Driver Earl Evans recently completed a 1000-mile 24-hour endurance motorcycle ride. All expenses for the ride were paid by M.E. Evans Trucking, with 100% of the donations going to benefit Alissa Boyle.

Earl Evans began his Endurance Ride by leaving Canfield, Ohio at 8:10 pm on July 21, 2012. The ride ended at Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada at 7:45 pm on July 22nd.  Earl says other than the intense heat and a little motion sickness on the ferry (the crew said it was a lot rougher than usual) it was a great ride!

Earl raised $5,000 for the Alissa Boyle Benefit.  Sponsors included Youngstown Kenworth, Inc. Employees, OOIDA, Kale Trucking, Paul Knopp & Sons Trucking, Movin’ Out, Landstar Ranger, Inc., Bores Mfg., Jo Jo’s Travel Stores, Holton, Inc., Transportation Solutions, M.E. Evans Trucking, Terry’s Tire Town, Smoke House BBQ, Coney Island Hot Dog Shop, Imperial Communities, Inc.  Many individuals and families also gave generous donations.

An inscription in a card that Earl presented to Alissa sums it up best:

“Somewhere in the Universe a star shines just for you, sending out its love, warmth and sharing its healing light all for you… Trust in your heart that all your dreams will come true and believe in yourself and in all that you do!  Because when we believe in our dreams, they can carry us to the stars!”

It’s very evident that Earl Evans has been a shining star for Alissa Boyle!  I have always said that Professional Truck Drivers have some of the biggest and kindest hearts – and his efforts to raise funds for this young lady proves that Earl Evans is truly a Knight of the Highway. Donations for the “Alissa Boyle Benefit” are still be accepted and can be made at any Farmers National Bank Branch or sent to M.E. Evans Trucking, P. O Box 522, Canfield, OH  44406.  You can make out checks or money orders to the “Alissa Boyle Benefit Fund.” If you have any questions, please call Earl at 330-533-0995 or 330-518-3251.