In a post on his official blog, Secretary of Transportation, Ray LaHood, praised the American Bus Association (ABA) and the Bus Industry Safety Council (BISC) for their commitment to the safety and security of all motorcoach passengers and operators.

LaHood wrote "The Council's mission, 'to develop and promote methods, materials, and procedures to improve motorcoach safety' makes BISC a natural partner in FMCSA's own safety efforts. By focusing on three core safety principles, FMCSA and the American Bus Association have worked effectively toward a safer motorcoach industry."

LaHood wrote the post to report on Deputy Administrator of the FMCSA, Bill Bronrott's, trip to ABA's 2011 Marketplace in Philadelphia. Deputy Administrator Bronrott was there to meet with members of the ABA Board of Directors and BISC.

To view Secretary LaHood's post, click here.

Additionally, members of the ABA collectively donated or pledged $45,000 to the Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) as part of the Philadelphia 2011 "Marketplace Gives Back" program.

Over the past several years, ABA has made it a priority to give back to the Marketplace host region community by selecting a charitable cause from that region. In five years,

Marketplace Gives Back has raised a total of more than $160,000 for these charities. This year's recipient was the Philadelphia area's Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation.

The Foundation emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra "Alex" Scott (1996-2004). At the age of 4, Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer. Since Alex opened that first stand, the Foundation bearing her name has evolved into a national fundraising movement, complete with thousands of volunteers across the country carrying on her legacy of hope.

To date, ALSF has raised more than $35 million toward fulfilling Alex's dream of finding a cure, funding over 150 research projects nationally.

Past recipients of "Marketplace Gives Back" funds include the Yellow Ribbon Fund (Capital Region 2010), Carolina Breast Friends (Charlotte 2009), the American Cancer Society (Virginia Beach 2008) and the Joey Wilkins Foundation (Grapevine 2007).