NABC Recycled Rides® Program Joined Farmers Insurance®, GEICO, Travelers and Schaefer Autobody to Donate Three Refurbished Vehicles to Three Deserving St. Louis Veterans and Military Families in Need of Reliable Transportation

Car Presentation to Recipients Held Monday, September 12 at the NABC® Pars for Cars Golf Fundraiser Presented by Enterprise in Augusta, MO

MEDIA NOTE: Photos from the vehicle presentation available here

ST.LOUIS, MO (September 19, 2022) – On Monday, September 12, three deserving St. Louis veterans and military families experienced a life-changing event – the presentation of three vehicles to provide them independence and the ability to work and take care of their families – thanks to the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program along with car donors Farmers Insurance®, GEICO and Travelers Insurance and repair partner Schaefer Autobody, which refurbished all three vehicles.

The presentation was held on Monday, September 12, at Boone Valley Golf Club in Augusta, MO. Following the golf fundraiser, players and guests gathered for the heartwarming presentation for the veterans and military families.

“This is what we are all about,” said Bill Garoutte, president and CEO of the National Auto Body Council. “Being able to work with our members and partners to present the gift of reliable transportation to these three families is our mission. We’re proud to help them continue on their path to independence and success.”

Three deserving veterans and military families were selected by the Joshua Chamberlain Society and Heroes Cares, including:

Robert Byrd, who was nominated by Heroes Cares, served in the U.S. Air Force from 1985 to 1995 as a sergeant and was deployed to Saudi Arabia and Turkey during Desert Storm. He has received numerous commendations, including the AF Commendation Medal, AF Outstanding Unit Award with one Oak Leaf Cluster, AF Good Conduct Medal, National Defense Service Medal and the Southwest Asia Service Medal with one bronze star, among others. He works full-time, and is currently dependent on a 1995 Pontiac Firebird, which is unreliable and requires extensive repairs.

Danielle Pothoof, who was selected by the Joshua Chamberlain Society, retired from the U.S. Marine Corp as a staff sergeant. She served from 2009 to 2018 and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2011. She was injured while traveling on a mission, and ultimately lost her leg. Dani was awarded the Purple Heart for her service. Today, she is a mother to two children and a driver for Fedex. She is also an athlete and holds two Paralympic records and dozens of Warrior Games medals.

Aleksandr Kisseloff, also selected by the Joshua Chamberlain Society and is the first-ever Gold Star family recipient. His father, Sergeant Dennis Kisseloff, served in the National Guard. In 2010, on an overseas mission, Sgt. Kisseloff’s unit was attacked by insurgents, and in the ensuing firefight, Sgt. Kisseloff lost his life in service to our nation. Today, Aleks is launching his career as a hair stylist, working in a salon and providing services for weddings on the weekends. He is dependent on reliable transportation for his career, and his current vehicle was damaged in an accident and needs mechanical repairs, also.

Schaefer Autobody, a locally owned collision repair center with 14 locations across the St. Louis area, handled the repairs for all three vehicles. This event marks some 35 NABC Recycled Rides vehicles they have presented over the years.

“We’re a family business dedicated to giving back to our community, and this is one of the many ways we work to help those in need,” said Scott Schaefer, second-generation owner of Schaefer Autobody. “It’s an honor for our team to work on refurbishing a vehicle to help a veteran or military family who ha served our country. We’re proud to be able to support them.”

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 nearly 3,000 vehicles valued at some $42 million.

Additional partners in the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation include 1-800 Charity Cars, Enterprise, Longhouse Inventory Solutions, Bommarito, Yancey, Dent Wizard, Sick Tint, Onsite Wheels, Lou Fusz and University Subaru.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL AUTO BODY COUNCIL®

The National Auto Body Council®, which celebrated its’ 25^th anniversary in 2020, 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 2,750 vehicles, provided extrication opportunities for more than 3,800 First Responders and contributed to thousands of distracted driving pledges in communities through NABC Recycled Rides®, NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™) and the NABC Distracted Driving Initiative™. That effort equates to a 4:1 ROI in dollar value delivered from NABC® membership dollars. The National Auto Body Council® is changing the paradigm of how the collision industry works and is viewed. For more information, visit www.NationalautoBodyCouncil.org.