Presentation of the NABC Recycled Ride® Took Place June 9 as Part of GEICO’s One-Year Anniversary Celebration of Its Tampa Office
MEDIA NOTE: Photos and video from the NABC Recycled Rides® presentation are available HERE
PORT CHARLOTTE, FL (June 11, 2026) – On Tuesday, June 9, a young single mother from southwest Florida was presented a “once in a lifetime” gift – the donation of a beautifully refurbished vehicle as she looks to continue her education and care for her three-year-old daughter. The donation was made possible by the NABC Recycled Rides® program, vehicle donor GEICO and repair partner Crash Champions with support from Enterprise. State Senator Jim Boyd from Florida District 20 was on hand for the festivities.
The presentation took place at GEICO’s office in Tampa in conjunction with a day-long celebration of their anniversary. The recipient was nominated by the Safe Children Coalition. For decades, the Safe Children Coalition has served as the leading community-based care agency covering Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties. In collaboration with a network of organizations and partners, they provide several critical, life-saving programs and services, including foster care, adoption, and prevention and diversion programs that are vital to the safety and well-being of children and families in the community.
“Reliable transportation changes everything for a young mother. It’s the difference between just getting by and actually moving forward,” says Denise O’Malley, head of sales operations for GEICO and co-campus leader for the Tampa office. “We are proud to help Amrie get her daughter to daycare, get herself to work on time, and keep building toward the stability she’s earned.”
A 2020 KIA Optima LX, donated by GEICO and refurbished by the technicians at the Crash Champions located in Zephyrhills, FL, was presented to Amrie Fields. At 21, she is balancing college, work, and raising her three-year-old daughter on her own. Every day starts with planning how to get where she needs to go, relying on rideshares that are costly and sometimes unreliable. What should be a simple task like getting her daughter to daycare and making it to work often feels like the hardest part of Fields’ Day. A reliable vehicle will give her something she’s been working toward but has not been able to reach yet: stability. It will mean her daughter gets to daycare safely and on time every day, and that she can show up to work consistently without worrying about how she will get there. More than anything, it will give Fields peace of mind and the ability to focus on building a better future through furthering her education. T
“This is such a great big day for me because I was just looking into getting a car and I wasn’t able to get it, but then this happens,” said recipient Amrie Fields. “I’m grateful for this opportunity. I’m thankful to NABC, GEICO, Crash Champions and everybody who helps the less fortunate.”
GEICO, a Level One partner of the National Auto Body Council®, has donated more than 1,000 vehicles to people and organizations through NABC Recycled Rides®, making it the largest car donor partner of NABC Recycled Rides®.
Crash Champions, also a Level One partner of the National Auto Body Council®, has gifted more than 250 vehicles to people and organizations through NABC Recycled Rides®.
Additional partners in this presentation include: LongHouse Solutions, Waterman Performance and Speed Shop, Major League Auto Glass, Central Florida DMV Rebuilt Inspections, Enterprise, Advanced Remarketing Services, Copart and Cars for Charity.
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 3,750 vehicles valued at some $67 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 3,750 vehicles valued at more than $67 million and provided extrication opportunities for some 7,000 First Responders in communities around the country through NABC Recycled Rides® and NABC First Responder Emergency Extrication (F.R.E.E.™).
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.
The Changing and Saving Lives Foundation Keys for Change program also helps drive funding for key programs. The easy, efficient donation process allows vehicle owners to turn their unwanted vehicles into life-changing support. All vehicle donations fund critical programs that provide support and assistance for families in need, military members, veterans and first responders.
For more information, visit http://www.nationalautobodycouncil.org.