In a presentation held near the Colorado State Capitol, two military families received life-changing gifts: refurbished vehicles donated by the National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides program, with the support of GEICO, Allstate and Crash Champions.
NABC, Allstate and Crash Champions Greeley presented a meticulously refurbished 2018 Subaru Forester to Wallace Van Scott, a U.S. Air Force veteran and single father of two at-risk boys. Van Scott had been having to scrape by with an unreliable car, forcing long periods with no transportation. He could not afford the extensive repairs needed. Having reliable transportation now means improved access to health care for himself and his children and getting his children to and from school.
Van Scott, who is recovering from several back operations, said he cried when he first slid into the driver’s seat.
"The car is the perfect height. There was no pain in my back," he said, adding, "It’s amazing. I told the folks at Crash Champions that they didn’t just fix a car, they fixed my life."
"We are proud to be here today with our partners to be able to present these vehicles to the families of our service members," said Mike Fitzpatrick, vice president of Crash Champions. "There is nothing that gives us greater joy than the ability to give back, and we are thankful to have that opportunity."
NABC, GEICO and Crash Champions Loveland donated a fully refurbished 2018 Honda HR-V to Cheyeanne Lant, the wife of a decorated U.S. Army veteran. Lant has been the main breadwinner of the family, and it has been challenging for her to keep a job due to having to rely on public transportation. She sometimes was able to borrow a car from a friend or her sister, but it was never consistent. The car donated through NABC Recycled Rides will help this family become financially stable by being able to keep regular jobs and not missing shifts due to transportation issues.
The NABC Recycled Rides program, which began in 2007, involves businesses across the collision repair industry collaborating to repair and donate vehicles to those in need. To date, they have donated more than 3,300 vehicles valued at approximately $47 million.
Additional partners in this presentation included Bob’s Main Street Motors, Commercial Auto Glass, Dentsmart, Russ Darrow Toyota, Advanced Remarketing Services, Cars for Charity, Copart and Enterprise.
