After serving three tours of duty in Iraq as a veteran of both the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army, a deserving wounded warrior with a passion for giving back to his community was presented keys to a newly-refurbished vehicle Dec. 12. The presentation was part of the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides® program and took place at Crash Champions Collision Repair in Bradenton, FL.
Sgt. Dallas Bragg, who served a combined 13 years of active military duty and was injured by multiple IEDs and other explosives, today spends his time giving back to several military families and leadership organizations across the community.
Now, he will have a reliable vehicle to further fuel his passion for giving back by assisting fellow veterans struggling with mental health or financial stress.
“I can’t begin to tell you the difference having a safe and reliable vehicle will have on our lives,” said Bragg. “For this, we are forever grateful to the NABC, GEICO, Crash Champions and all the other sponsors that made today possible.”
The ceremony was made possible by local Crash Champions collision repair technicians, who volunteered their time and craftsmanship to restore the vehicle to like-new condition in time for the giveaway. The vehicle was donated for refurbishing by GEICO.
“It’s a true honor to play a small role in Sgt. Bragg’s heroic story of selfless service to our nation and its veterans,” said Crash Champions founder and CEO Matt Ebert. “His service to our country, both in combat duty and through his continued passion for giving back to veterans, is truly commendable. This vehicle giveaway is just a small token of our immense gratitude for his service.”
NABC Recycled Rides is a transformative program that unites several areas of the automotive collision repair industry in pursuit of restoring and donating vehicles to individuals and families in need of reliable transportation. Since the inception of the program in 2007, members of the NABC have donated more than 3,200 vehicles valued at $46 million.
Crash Champions has taken part in more than 60 Recycled Rides giveaways across the country in the past two years.
