LOCAL NEWS
Four New Jersey Veterans Receive Recycled Rides from NABC
by ALANA BONILLO
Industry volunteers and supporters bring hope – and cars – to veterans in need.
The National Auto Body Council (NABC) recently brought life-changing magic back to the Garden State with the return of its annual Pars for Cars fundraiser at the Mountain View Golf Course in Ewing in support of its Recycled Rides program. This year, NABC gifted four restored vehicles to local veterans in need of wheels. “What really makes the magic happen is what we are about to do shortly – to really save and change people’s lives,” Darren Huggins, immediate past chair of NABC, commented at the start of the presentation. “Not everyone has that gift of transportation. Most of us here have a car or two or three; we don’t think about it. One breaks down, we go to another. What if you don’t have transportation to go to work or take the kids to school or go to a doctor’s appointment? We are here to raise money and here to keep the gift going. We want to continue to gift cars and make a difference in people’s lives every day.”
NABC President/CEO Bill Garoutte (left) with Recycled Rides recipient Sean Mangin
With the help of generous supporters and sponsors, NABC has restored and gifted 2,750 vehicles – the equivalent of $36 million – back into communities all around the United States. NABC worked with the New Jersey Veterans Network to find this year’s recipients. All four vehicles were donated by GEICO, and repair work was donated by local collision facilities throughout the state. Parts and materials were donated by various vendors. 20 | New Jersey Automotive | August 2021
Recipients included Sean Mangin (a 2016 Hyundai Sonata, with repairs donated by Cherry Hill Collision; Cherry Hill), Dina Bowers (a 2018 Toyota Corolla, with repairs donated by Ray Mees Auto Coach; North Bergen), Pedro Muriel (a 2017 Hyundai Elantra, with repairs donated by Caliber Collision; Pennsauken) and Hazel Rodgers (a 2018 Hyundai Elantra, with repairs donated by Caliber Collision; Pennington). Surrounded by their family members, each recipient had an opportunity to express their gratitude for this gift of transportation with the NABC and all event participants. “I thank everyone who had anything to do with this,” Muriel, a single father of four boys who works to give back to other veterans in need, shared. “For a single father, it’s hard to get around, but I don’t make excuses. I do what I have to do as a dad, and this is going to help me tremendously. This is a huge blessing for me, so to have this will allow me the opportunity to help more veterans. I will continue to do that. So, I thank you all.” Adding to the smiles, cheers and excitement of Pedro Muriel with his 2017 the presentation, another Hyundai Elantra repaired by surprise for the veterans was Caliber Collision in Pennsauken revealed: Each recipient was also sent home with a 55-inch screen TV courtesy of FindPigtails, one of the event sponsors. “It was nice to be back together as a group and do what we do, which is helping veterans,” Keith Egan, NABC Board member and event organizer, said. “All of our fundraising is about keeping people in cars. The Golf Outing event is driven around supporting the veterans through the New Jersey Veterans Network and recognizing their contributions to our country.” NJA
