Presentation of the NABC Recycled Rides® to Change Wisconsin Veteran’s Took Place for December 22, at University of Wisconsin Basketball Game in Madison, WI
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (December 23, 2025) – On Monday, December 22, Christmas came early for a Milwaukee-area veteran thanks to a life-changing gift—the donation of a beautifully refurbished vehicle to help him get to critical medical appointments. The donation was made possible by the NABC Recycled Rides® program, car donor American Family and repair partner Gerber Collision & Glass.
The presentation took place at the University of Wisconsin’s Kohl Center in Madison as part of their basketball game against Central Michigan. The recipient was nominated by Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin. Based in Racine, WI, Veterans Outreach of Wisconsin (VOW) works to make a difference in the lives of at-risk veteran households in every community across Wisconsin.
“Seeing these homeless vets come in and then be able to receive gifts like this is just very heartwarming,” said Sonja Flinn from Veterans Outreach Wisconsin. “I don’t think we do enough for the veterans, so this is a great gift for Mark to just get back on his feet and move on and thrive in life, and especially at Christmas.”
A 2025 Honda Accord, donated by American Family and refurbished by the technicians at Gerber Collision & Glass, was presented to Mark Knowlton. He is a United States Air Force veteran who worked in communications. After leaving the military, Mark went on to work for Motorola, working two-way communications for 22 years and then worked radio communications with the Baltimore Ravens for ten years. Unfortunately, he found himself without permanent housing or a vehicle. Reliable transportation is something that most people take for granted until they are in a position where they must go without it. Without transportation, usually friends must take time out of their day to drive him to appointments and other errands. Knowlton also has a teenage grandson who lives an hour and a half away who he would love to spend more time with as their relationship is close. Receiving this vehicle will restore Knowlton’s dignity and autonomy. This refurbished vehicle from the NABC Recycled Rides® program will allow Knowlton to be able to find permanent housing, allow him to have the freedom to go grocery shopping and give him the peace of mind to know he will have reliable transportation.
“It’s kind of tough being homeless without a car,” said Knowlton. “It’s kind of tough to get to appointments, to see family and stuff, so they say, ‘we’ve got this opportunity for you, if you’ve got a clean driving record, we can get you hooked up with a car’. We went through the whole process. It was a little nerve-wracking for me, because I am, that’s the way I am, but we got it done.”
American Family, a frequent contributor of vehicles to NABC Recycled Rides® program, is committed to improving communities, the environment and the people it serves.
Gerber Collision & Glass, a Level One member of the NABC®, was founded in 1937 as a single glass and trim shop and has grown to be one of the largest auto collision and glass repair companies in North America. Gerber Collision & Glass locations are all I-CAR Gold Certified repair facilities.
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.
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.