Railroad safety nonprofit Operation Lifesaver (OL, www.oli.org) announced John Cross of Calhoun, as the 2012 recipient of the F. Tom Roberts Memorial Volunteer Award.

Cross received the award for his efforts to educate professional drivers and others about driving safely near train tracks. The award was presented at a dinner during the Operation Lifesaver Leadership Workshop here.

“We are proud to present this prestigious award to John Cross, honoring him for his dedication to saving lives through his tireless activities on behalf of Operation Lifesaver,” said Operation Lifesaver, Inc. President Helen M. Sramek. “John epitomizes what Tom Roberts stood for and shares his deep commitment to the Operation Lifesaver mission.”

Cross, a retired professional truck driver, has been a certified presenter for more than 17 years and is an area coordinator for Georgia OL. He has more than 500 hours in volunteer time with Operation Lifesaver in 2011 alone.

Cross has devoted a major part of his efforts on behalf of OL to educating professional drivers, a critical audience, as nearly 25 percent of all crossing collisions each year involve vehicles that require a CDL (Commercial Drivers License).

As a CDL instructor at Southern Crescent Technical College in Griffin, Ga., Cross delivers a full Operation Lifesaver presentation to each new group of Commercial Drivers License truck driver trainees, ensuring that each student learns how to drive safely around railroad crossings.

For the past 12 years John has managed the Georgia OL mobile exhibit truck, coordinating drivers for the exhibit as it travels around the state, spreading the OL safety message.

Eight additional nominees for the OL Champion Award were also recognized at the dinner.

Started in 1994 in memory of a man who dedicated the majority of his life to reducing or eliminating death and injuries along railroad tracks, the F. Tom Roberts Memorial Award honors an individual who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to safety.

Eligibility is determined by the number of volunteer hours committed annually to Operation Lifesaver, the nature of volunteer activities performed, and other personal contributions to the Operation Lifesaver program. Operation Lifesaver’s mission is to end collisions, deaths and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings and along railroad rights of way.