April 29, 2011 — The National Auto Body Council’s (NABC) Recycled Rides Program, which provides donated vehicles to families and charities in need, is officially underway, the NABC recently announced.

The annual program has grown yearly through the volunteer efforts of shops, paint companies, insurance companies and other organizations. Last year, 119 vehicles were donated. The NABC is aiming for 500 this year.

“The generous commitment of these companies—which represent all segments of the industry—makes the success of Recycled Rides possible,” said NABC Executive Director Chuck Sulkala. “They embody the spirit of NABC and possess a thorough understanding of the importance of our work. Improving the image of our collective industry is truly everyone’s business. The cross-section of organizations committing resources to the cause attests strongly to this fact.”

The 2011 Recycled Rides volunteer committee includes:

• Nick Notte, co-chair (Sterling Auto Body Centers)
• Michael Quinn, co-chair (911 Collision Centers)
• Bill Mayer, vehicle procurement chair (Insurance Auto Auctions)
• Troy Holm, repair facility co-chair (Collision Services)
• Jim O’Campo, repair facility co-chair (DuPont Performance Coatings)
• Terry Fortner,vendor/parts chair (LKQ Corporation)
• Rick Tuuri, vo-tech chair (Audatex)
• Kurtis Keala, vendor/parts committee leader (1-800 Radiator)
• Rocky Pallatto, vehicle procurement committee (800 Charity Cars)
• Dwight Howard, vehicle procurement committee (APU Solutions)
• George Verkamp, vendor/parts committee (AutoZone)
• Mark Lovell, market champion (Precision Collision Auto Body)

“We have set the bar high for 2011 and the fact that we have such a solid team in place makes me confident that we will meet our ambitious objectives,” said Notte, president of Sterling Auto Body Centers. “Those organizations and collision centers that have previously participated in Recycled Rides have paved the road for others who need to step up and get involved. We’re grateful to all who have come on board both in the past and at present. We can’t thank these companies enough for donating their resources to this initiative.”

For more information about Recycled Rides, go to autobodycouncil.org.