MEDIA CONTACT:
Dale Ross
651.207.9652
dross@nationalautobodycouncil.org
The NABC Recycled Rides® Presentation Took Place on Saturday, June 1 in Virginia Beach
MEDIA NOTE: Photos and video from the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation are available HERE.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (June 1, 2024) – A U. S. Army veteran experienced a life-changing event – the presentation of a vehicle to provide him critically needed transportation to complete his training in computer information systems – thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program along with car donor GEICO and repair partner Classic Collision of Newport News.
NABC®, GEICO and Classic Collision presented a fully refurbished 2022 Nissan Rogue to Victor Espinoza as part of the USO Experience Virginia Beach 2024, a weeklong event taking place in the Virginia Beach area. It consists of a series of athletic, recreational, and social activities for service members and their families, combined with educational and entertaining public elements. The GEICO Philanthropic Foundation is a corporate sponsor of USO Experience Virginia Beach 2024.
Victor Espinoza served his country in the U. S. Army as an engineer for nearly the whole decade of the 1990s, then served as a civilian military contractor in the IT field. A few years ago, he was severely injured when his car was rear-ended, totaling his vehicle and leaving him with a brain injury and a lengthy, difficult recovery process. At the time, Espinoza was getting his certification in computer information systems at George Mason University. The financial drain from his physical recovery meant that he had to discontinue his studies. Now, he is about to go back to the classroom and to work assignments in various locations, with the help of this vehicle donation from NABC Recycled Rides®.
“This is going to change my life a lot,” said Victor Espinoza at the presentation event. “My old car has nearly 250,000 miles on it, so this car donation is a blessing. I want to thank everyone who was involved.”
Espinoza was nominated for NABC Recycled Rides® by Brain Injury Services, a Virginia nonprofit supporting people with traumatic brain injuries.
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 3,300 vehicles valued at some $47 million.
Additional partners in the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation included Cars for Charity, Advanced Remarketing Services, Copart and Enterprise.
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 3,300 vehicles and provided extrication opportunities for some 5,500 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.
