Presentation to Took Place July 29 at the GEICO Headquarters in Chevy Chase, MD
Photos and Video from the Presentation Available Here
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (July 29, 2025) – On Tuesday, July 29, a deserving U.S. Army veteran and a hardworking single mother, both Maryland residents, received life-changing gifts — the donation of beautifully refurbished vehicles to enable them to get to work and care for their families. The presentation was made possible by the NABC Recycled Rides® program, car donor GEICO and repair partner Top Gun Collision, a member of CollisionRight network.
The presentation took place at GEICO’s headquarters in Chevy Chase, MD, with a crowd of GEICO employees, Top Gun Collision team members and other partners in attendance. GEICO donated both vehicles for the event, and the team at Top Gun Collision of Rockville, MD, refurbished them.
“Today we were honored to team up with Top Gun Collision, Enterprise, Friendship Place and Bridges To Housing Stability to gift these vehicles to Ronald Hector, Jr. and Petra Rice through the Recycled Rides program,” said Christopher Reed, Physical Damage Manager at GEICO. “Through our long-standing partnership with the National Auto Body Council, we’ve been able to provide the gift of transportation to Ronald, Petra, and many more recipients here in the DMV area and beyond.”
Petra Rice, who was presented a 2022 Honda Civic, is an extraordinary woman who has shown remarkable strength and dedication in every aspect of her life. As a hardworking single mother, she has tirelessly supported her son through a challenging diagnosis, ensuring he received the care and love he needed. Despite the difficulty of walking to work, Rice has remained steadfast in her commitment to her job, knowing how crucial it is for her family’s stability. Even though her son is now an adult, Rice continues to guide him with love and encouragement, even helping him secure employment at her previous workplace, where she had built a strong rapport with her manager. She goes above and beyond, ensuring her son gets to work on time and supporting him as he navigates his own journey. The gift of reliable transportation will not only ease the strain of her daily commute but also be a well-earned recognition of her hard work, determination, and the love she consistently gives to those around her. She was nominated through Bridges to Housing Stability.
“This means I am further on my way to financial independence,” said Rice. “Absolutely fantastic, I’m speechless. I owe a load of gratitude to so many people but most of all…my son. He is my pride and joy. Everything I have done and everything I will do in the future is because he is my reason for living. I can’t be more proud of him and the young man he is becoming.”
Ronald Hector, Jr., who received a 2021 Honda Accord, is an U.S. Army veteran and retired. He is a security officer working at the VA hospital. He feels it is his duty and his service to help and protect other veterans as well as hospital staff and the doctors who help veterans that served and are still serving. He faced housing challenges in recent years but relied on his faith and worked with Friendship Place on his path to independence. Hector continues to strive to do better and continue to be a productive member of society. This vehicle will help him get to work and help other veterans in need. Hector was nominated through Friendship Place.
“Thanks Geico, for giving me this opportunity and providing me with this new car,” said Hector. “And to all those who were involved, thank you so much. May God bless you guys and thank you so much again.”
GEICO, a Level One member of the National Auto Body Council®, is the largest donor of vehicles to NABC Recycled Rides®, having provided more than 1,000 vehicles in the 18 years of the program. CollisionRight, the parent company of Top Gun Collision, is also a Level One member.
“We’re proud to support the NABC Recycled Rides Program and help make a meaningful difference in the lives of two deserving recipients. This initiative reflects our commitment to community, and we’re especially grateful to the team at Top Gun Collision in Rockville, Maryland, for their outstanding work in restoring these vehicles. Under the leadership of General Manager Pablo Cristiani, their dedication and craftsmanship brought this donation to life,” said Tim Morales, Regional Manager for CollisionRight.
Enterprise was also part of the presentation and made a significant contribution to help Rice and Hector with gas and vehicle maintenance.
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 $51 million.
Additional partners in this presentation include Advanced Remarketing Services, Enterprise, Cars for Charity and Copart.
ABOUT GEICO
GEICO (Government Employees Insurance Company), the third-largest auto insurer in the U.S., was founded in 1936 and insures vehicles in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. GEICO, a member of the Berkshire Hathaway family of companies, constantly strives to make lives better by protecting people against unexpected events while saving them money and providing an outstanding customer experience. Along with personal auto insurance, commercial auto and personal umbrella coverages are also available. Homeowners, renters, condo, flood, identity theft, term life, and more coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, LLC. Visit GEICO.com for a quote or to learn more.
ABOUT TOP GUN COLLISION
Founded in 1975, Top Gun Collision has locations in Rockville and Frederick, MD, that are committed to restoring vehicles with precision and care while supporting the communities it serves. As a proud participant in the National Auto Body Council’s Recycled Rides® program, our Rockville location is honored to complete the repair work on the vehicles being donated that will provide reliable transportation to two individuals in our community. Top Gun Collision Experts is a member of the CollisionRight network.
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 training opportunities for some 6,000 first responders in communities around the country through NABC Recycled Rides®, NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™) and the NABC® Community Impact program. 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.