In a presentation Oct. 6, 10 deserving Arizona military families experienced a life-changing moment when they were gifted refurbished vehicles through the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program.
The ceremony, which took place at the USAA Financial Center in Phoenix, AZ, continued USAA’s “100 Cars for 100 Years” centennial celebration.
Service King Collision, now part of the Crash Champions Collision Repair Team, one of the fastest-growing independent collision repair service providers in the country, co-sponsored the event alongside Charity Cars.
As part of the Recycled Rides program, certified technicians from the Crash Champions and Service King Collision locations volunteered time and expertise to fully refurbish three of the donated vehicles for active-duty military families. The local families were selected by Phoenix-area nonprofit organizations.
“I want to thank all the parties involved for this incredible gift that does so much for my family and our sense of independence,” said one recipient, a U.S. Air Force servicemember. “Having a form of reliable, dependable transportation removes many of the difficulties we face on an everyday basis, and this gift will play a major role in improving our lives for years to come.”
The three vehicles restored by Service King and Crash Champions technicians included a 2017 Jeep Cherokee Latitude, 2018 Subaru Impreza and 2020 Toyota RAV4.
NABC Recycled Rides is a unique program in which businesses representing all facets of the automotive collision repair industry team up to repair and donate vehicles to individuals and families in need of reliable transportation. Since the inception of the NABC Recycled Rides program in 2007, members of the NABC have donated nearly 3,000 vehicles valued at $42 million.
Since 2018, Crash Champions has restored and donated more than 30 vehicles to deserving families as part of the NABC Recycled Rides program.
“Much like Crash Champions, USAA is a mission driven organization that prioritizes investing in the communities that it serves,” said Matt Ebert, CEO and founder of Crash Champions. “It is an honor to be able to participate in the centennial celebrations through our role in the Recycled Rides program. Many of Crash Champions’ talented technicians and teammates served across different branches of the military, which makes it even more special when we can help restore a level of independence for the selfless members of the armed forces through a refurbished vehicle donation.”
Source: Crash Champions
Abby Andrews