Presentation of the NABC Recycled Ride® to Connecticut Invention Convention Took Place at the Travelers Office in Hartford on September 16, 2025
MEDIA NOTE: Photos and Video from the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation are available HERE.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (September 16, 2025) – On Tuesday, September 16, a leading organization for Connecticut’s youth became the beneficiary of a beautifully refurbished vehicle to help them in their efforts. The donation was made possible by vehicle donor Travelers, repair partner Crash Champions, and the NABC Recycled Rides® program.
The vehicle, a 2017 Toyota RAV 4 was generously donated by Travelers and beautifully refurbished by the technicians of Crash Champions.
“We’re excited to be here in Hartford today partnering with the NABC Recycled Rides® program and Travelers Insurance,” said Chuck Zimmer, Vice President of Operations, Crash Champions. “It’s exciting for us because we give these vehicles away across the country. Our motto is ‘To Help People in a Time of Need’ and in my opinion there’s not a better way to do that than to give a vehicle away to a charity or person who needs it.”
The presentation took place at the Travelers office in Hartford, CT. The organization receiving the vehicle is the Connecticut Invention Convention. The Connecticut Invention Convention (CIC) is an internationally recognized educational organization started in 1983. Educators use the CIC curriculum to develop creative problem-solving and critical thinking skills through invention and entrepreneurship. The CIC regularly conducts site visits to partnering schools and communities to provide ongoing support and professional development for them. The refurbished vehicle from NABC Recycled Rides® will make travel significantly easier and allow CIC staff to conduct more in-person site visits while also reducing the associated cost burden faced by staff using their own vehicles. The increased size of this vehicle will allow the CIC to more easily transport supplies to its partners, supporting its directive to provide its in-need partners with the materials necessary to conduct CIC programs.
“This vehicle will allow us to transport supplies to schools and allow our staff to do more outreach and not have to use their own vehicles,” said Dorron Feller, Associate Director, Connecticut Intervention Center. “Thank you to Travelers for your continued support, to Crash Champions, the NABC and everyone that helped make this possible.”
Travelers, a level one member of the NABC®, has donated 85 vehicles to people and organizations in need through NABC Recycled Rides®.
Crash Champions, a Level One partner of the National Auto Body Council®, has gifted more than 250 vehicles to people and organizations through NABC Recycled Rides.
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 3,500 vehicles valued at some $51 million.
Additional partners in this presentation include: OPUS IVS, LKQ, AutoNation Honda in Chandler, Highline Car Care, Smart Calibrations, Glass Now, Akso, Copart, Enterprise, Advanced Remarketing Services, Cars for Charity
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 3,500 vehicles and provided extrication opportunities for some 6,000 First Responders in communities around the country through NABC Recycled Rides® and NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™). That effort equates to a 4:1 ROI in dollar value delivered from NABC® membership dollars.
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. For more information, visit www.NationalautoBodyCouncil.org.