AAA Honors National Safety Patroller of the Year.

Business Editors

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 7, 2002

Kaitlin McLoughlin of Troy Michigan became the first-ever recipient of the AAA National School Safety Patroller of the Year award.

The award was given to only one member of the over 500,000 AAA School Safety Patrollers from the entire United States and Canada. An honor of the highest regard, the award recognizes the exemplary leadership qualities, safety skills, school involvement and citizenship/volunteerism of the chosen patrol member.

Kaitlin currently serves as Safety Captain in the eighth grade at Our Shepherd Lutheran School in Birmingham, Michigan. After being nominated as Club Patroller of the Year by AAA Michigan and intense national judging, she was named the AAA National Patroller of the Year for 2002.

AAA honored her achievement at a special ceremony held today in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. P. "Kaitlin has shown her commitment to leading others and built a strong foundation of leadership," said Charles Butler, director of AAA Traffic Safety Services. "She exemplifies all the qualities of a true leader."

Kaitlin is responsible for keeping a weekly record of her safety squad, raising and lowering the school flag, making sure the safety belts and ponchos are in their proper places, and locking one of the school doors after the final bell rings in the morning. She must also organize her squad and assign duty stations, which are changed monthly.

At her school, Kaitlin is co-captain of the cheering squad, vice-president of the student council and a member of the choir. She also serves the community by working with the local food bank and various school fundraisers. Active in her church youth group, she cheerfully volunteers her services when asked and often seeks out other opportunities to serve.

AAA started the national school safety patrol in 1920. Today, the AAA School Safety Patrol is an organization of 500,000 boys and girls nationwide in 50,000 schools. Many famous Americans have been safety patrollers, including former U.S. Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Senator John Warner of Virginia, three current members of the U.S. Supreme Court, 21 astronauts and six Olympic gold medallists.

The program has a long history of helping young people become leaders by teaching discipline, responsibility, and concern for others. P. As the nation's largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides its nearly 44 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-elated services.

Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for safety and security of all travelers.

AAA news releases are available from http://www.aaa.com/news