Presentation of the NABC Recycled Ride® Took Place May 20 at the Auto Body Parts Association Conference in Indian Wells, CA
MEDIA NOTE: Photos from the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation are available HERE
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (May 20, 2026) – On Wednesday, May 20, a veteran of the United States Army who was awarded the Bronze Star, received a life-changing gift—the donation of a beautifully refurbished vehicle which will give him the ability to work, continue his education and lead an independent life. The donation was made possible by the NABC Recycled Rides® program, vehicle donor Allstate and repair partner Fix Auto Santa Ana, part of the Driven Brands family of automotive brands.
The presentation took place at the Auto Body Parts Association Conference at the Tommy Bahama Resort & Spa in Indian Wells, CA. The multi-day event gathers senior leaders, manufacturers, suppliers, and insurers for collision repair insights, board elections, and networking. ABPA has partnered with the NABC to gift vehicles to people in need at each of their annual conferences. Ed Salamy, executive director for the ABPA, is also on the board of directors for the NABC.
The recipient was nominated by the Sy Kaplan VA Clinic. The Sy Kaplan VA Clinic is a community-based outpatient facility operated by the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System.
“The APBA is proud to once again collaborate with the National Auto Body Council® on this year’s NABC Recycled Rides® gifting in Indian Wells,” said Edward Salamy, Executive Director, Automotive Body Parts Association. “For the past 10 years, supporting this program has reflected our commitment to giving back and bringing the collision repair industry together to make a real difference in people’s lives.”
A 2022 Toyota Highlander, donated by Allstate and refurbished by the technicians at Fix Auto Santa Ana, was presented to Marco Arango. Arangoserved in the United States Army 4-2 infantry from 2004-2008 and was deployed to Iraq where he was awarded the Bronze Star. Arango receives a VA service-connected pension. With the high cost of living in California, he has been unable to purchase a vehicle. Arango would like to go back to school for a degree but public transportation where he lives is not a reliable option. He also wants to secure a better job, , but his lack of transportation makes it very difficult. The gift of reliable transportation will allow Arango to reach the goals he has set for himself. The ability to work, continue his education, and lead an independent life, will be the result of this incredible gift of a NABC Recycled Ride® for this very deserving veteran.
In addition to vehicle, ABPA members Parts Authority ‘stuffed the trunk” with food and other household items, WHI Solutions donated a 32” TV, and NCS donated a gift card for gas.
“Thank you to everyone for this refurbished vehicle and all the gifts that came with it,” said recipient Marco Arango. “I do appreciate, just like I served, you guys are helping me out a lot because I will be continuing school, going to my VA appointments and I’ll keep pushing more to help other veterans.”
Allstate, a Level One partner of the National Auto Body Council®, has donated more than 300 vehicles to people and organizations through the NABC Recycled Rides® program, making it one of the largest vehicle donor partners of NABC Recycled Rides®.
Fix Auto USA is part of the Driven Brands family of automotive brands, and Fix Auto Santa Ana is an I-CAR Gold Certified repair facility.
Additional partners in this presentation include: Parts Authority, Wheel Cosmo, Best Pro Auto Glass, Advanced Remarketing Services, Copart and Cars for Charity.
NABC Recycled Rides® is a unique program in which businesses representing all facets of the 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 National Auto Body Council® have donated more than 3,750 vehicles valued at some $67 million.
About the National Auto Body Council®:
The National Auto Body Council® is the premier organization of collision industry partners dedicated to strategic networking opportunities that positively change lives in the communities we serve. The collaborative membership of the National Auto Body Council® has gifted more than 3,750 vehicles valued at more than $67 million and provided extrication opportunities for some 7,000 First Responders in communities around the country through NABC Recycled Rides® and NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™).
The NABC Changing and Saving Lives Foundation, a 501c3 organization, is committed to the goal of driving change for veterans, military members, first responders and families in need, while harnessing the power of the collective membership of the collision repair industry to positively impact communities where we live and work. As demand for NABC® programs like NABC Recycled Rides® and NABC F.R.E.E.™ grows, so do the needs for resources to manage these important programs. Being able to pursue grants, gifts and donations allows NABC to expand these programs to serve those in need and help communities where we live and work.
The Changing and Saving Lives Foundation Keys for Change program also helps drive funding for key programs. The easy, efficient donation process allows vehicle owners to turn their unwanted vehicles into life-changing support. All vehicle donations fund critical programs that provide support and assistance for families in need, military members, veterans and first responders. For more information, visit http://www.nationalautobodycouncil.org.