Oct. 1, 2019—To kick off the first day of the 2019 FenderBender Management Conference, a veteran received the gift of reliable transportation from Heppner's Auto Body and Glass, as well as the magazine.

Heppner's, a multi-shop operation with six locations in Minnesota, partnered with FenderBender and the National Auto Body Council to give away a car to a deserving veteran during the 2019 FenderBender Management Conference.

Scott Paloma, the body shop manager for Heppner's downtown St. Paul location, said that he and his team refurbished the car over approximately six months. This is the fourth year the shop has participated in Recycled Rides.

Heppner's decided to choose Barbara Bullemer as the recipient. Bullemer joined the United States Army in 2006 and worked on maintaining communication and electrical systems of Blackhawk helicopters. She ended her time in service in 2008 to return to Minnesota to care for her two children.

"I just hope it makes Barbara's life easier and makes it better for her and her family," Paloma says."That's kind of  the whole goal of this, which is to find a good vehicle to give to somebody that is a great recipient."

Paloma says that he wanted to be more involved in picking the people and the car this year. The shop received two lists of vehicle options and ended up choosing a Mazda sport utility vehicle.

Bullemer received the Mazda during a presentation on Sept. 30 during the Management Conference kickoff party.

"Watching this process unfold and being able to be a part of helping a mother gain more freedom has been one of the most rewarding experiences we've done at FenderBender," says Anna Zeck, editorial director for FenderBender.