Two Bakersfield, CA, residents received life-changing gifts in the form of reliable transportation, thanks to the National Auto Body Council (NABC) Recycled Rides program.
During the first intermission of the Bakersfield Condors hockey game on Dec. 27, U.S. Army veteran Jeremy Bagby and foster advocate Kayla Sawyers were presented with fully refurbished vehicles.
Bagby, who had been commuting to his bus driving job by bicycle, was nominated by the California Veterans Assistance Program. He received a 2015 Toyota Highlander, refurbished by volunteers from Caliber Collision's two Bakersfield locations.
Sawyers, a determined young woman striving to overcome personal challenges and achieve her educational and professional goals, was nominated by Bakersfield Angels, a foster care nonprofit. She received a 2021 Hyundai Kona. The vehicle will enable her to pursue her aspirations with greater ease and independence.
NABC Recycled Rides is a collaborative program where collision repair industry partners donate time and resources to repair and gift vehicles to those in need. Since its launch in 2007, the initiative has donated over 3,500 vehicles valued at $50 million.
GEICO donated the vehicles, and Caliber Collision teammates volunteered their skills and time to restore them. Additional partners in the presentation included Advanced Remarketing Services, Cars for Charity, Copart and Enterprise.
