Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), Audi of America and Volkswagen of America are proud to announce they have partnered to donate 78 Audi and Volkswagen vehicles to collision repair programs throughout the U.S.
These donations will enhance the education of thousands of collision repair students and support the next generation of the automotive workforce. In a rapidly changing industry, it is critical students have access to the latest vehicles and technology.
The donated Audi and Volkswagen vehicles were damaged during shipping to the point that they could no longer be sold to customers. Upon evaluation, a group of Audi and Volkswagen employees knew this wasn’t the end for these vehicles as they were still functioning and intact.
The CREF team got to work with Audi and Volkswagen on how these vehicles could serve a new purpose. Months of planning, coordinating and reviews among this dedicated group of Audi and Volkswagen employees, CREF and schools resulted in the donation of these vehicles to automotive training programs throughout the country.
“We want to advance the next generation of technicians, and we’re committed to a more sustainable future,” said Mark Allen, manager of collision, equipment and EV after-sales service at Audi of America. “This was an opportunity where creativity and an open mind enabled us to live our sustainability values and map out a new way to help our industry.”
Allen partnered with Tony Russo, Volkswagen Group of America damage prevention and port policies senior specialist, to reimagine the use of many vehicles damaged beyond reasonable repair. The Audi and Volkswagen team worked directly with CREF to help facilitate the donation of these vehicles.
Allen and Russo also coordinated with Audi and Volkswagen dealerships and collision centers near the various schools, to ensure there is support for both the students and the schools by providing career opportunities for students and sourcing parts and addressing any technical questions for the school.
“Audi and Volkswagen are giving back to the industry and the communities they work in by connecting their certification programs to the donation. They aren’t just donating the cars; they are also connecting local dealerships and national training staff to the schools receiving the donations to ensure the sustainability of these programs,” said CREF Director of Marketing and Project Management Amber Ritter. “The foundation is incredibly grateful for this donation, and we are looking forward to seeing how the donation of both ICE vehicles and EVs benefit students’ ability to better prepare for industry careers.”
The donated vehicles range from large SUVs like the Audi Q7 to comparatively smaller cars like the Audi A3. There is also a mix of both ICE vehicles and EVs, including the Volkswagen ID.4 and Audi e-tron.
The schools benefiting from these Audi and Volkswagen donations include the following:
Maryland
- Center of Applied Technology North, Severn
- Center of Applied Technology South, Edgewater
- Gaithersburg High School, Gaithersburg
Michigan
- Oakland Community College, Rochester Hills
- Oakland School Technical Campus (OSTC)
- OSTC Southeast, Clarkston
- OSTC Northeast, Pontiac
- OSTC Southeast, Royal Oak
- OSTC Southwest, Wixom
New Jersey
- Passaic County Technical Institute, Wayne
Tennessee
- Bradley Central High School, Cleveland
- Chattanooga State Community College, Chattanooga
- Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT)
- TCAT, Crossville
- TCAT, Knoxville
- TCAT, Livingston
- TCAT, Morristown
Texas
- JB Hensler College and Career, Manvel
Virginia
- Academies of Loudon, Leesburg
- Northern Virginia Community College, Alexandria
Abby Andrews