MEDIA CONTACT:
Dale Ross
651.207.9652
dross@nationalautobodycouncil.org
Media note: Additional photos from the presentation can be found HERE.
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (July 6, 2025) – On Tuesday, July 1, the son of a U.S. Army soldier who made the ultimate sacrifice received a profoundly life-changing gift– a fully refurbished vehicle—thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program, along with vehicle donor GEICO and collision repair partner Better Collision of Rock Hill, South Carolina.
GEICO donated the 2019 Kia Soul and the skilled technicians at Better Collision in Rock Hill, South Carolina fully refurbished it so that NABC®, GEICO and Better Collision could present the vehicle to Aaron Jones, a Gold Star family member. Jones was nominated for the NABC Recycled Ride® by Upstate Warrior Solution, a South Carolina non-profit that assists veterans and their families.
Aaron Jones is the son of U.S. Army Sergeant Anthony Jones, who lost his life to an improvised explosive device when he was 25 years old. He was on his third deployment to Iraq when he died. Aaron was just one month old at the time. Aaron is currently majoring in criminal justice at Clemson University, and he hopes to get an internship with the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division when he has a reliable vehicle. Aaron also recently served as a student leader at a local bible camp. His nominator at Upstate Warrior Solution said that Aaron is a deserving candidate not only in honor of his father’s sacrifice but because of Aaron’s own hard work and service to his community.
GEICO has donated more than 1000 vehicles through NABC Recycled Rides®, making it the largest donor in the program. GEICO is a level one member of the National Auto Body Council.
South Carolina-based Better Collision is one of the fastest growing collision repair organizations in the country. Its shops are all I-CAR Gold Certified.
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 the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation included Auto Glass Now, Valley Hi Nissan, Sherwin Williams, O’Reilly Auto Parts, LKQ, Aguiar’s Towing. Advanced Remarketing Services, Cars for Charity, Enterprise and Copart.
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®, 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.