March 7, 2013—The Collision Repair Education Foundation will distribute 1,000 Cintas technician uniforms to secondary and post-secondary collision students this spring through its student technician shirt project.
The uniforms were provided through the sponsorship of Bar’s Products, CARSTAR Auto Body Repair Experts, Cintas, Ford Motor Co., I-CAR, PPG Automotive Refinish and Sterling Autobody Centers.
The student technician shirt project also helped raise $10,000 for the Education Foundation’s Collision Repair Education Campaign fund, which funds student scholarships, school grants and the annual Ultimate Collision Education Makeover grant.
“What started off as a fun project back in 2009 has grown into a life changing program that provides collision students with a sense of pride, professionalism, and belonging,” said Brandon Eckenrode, director of development for the Education Foundation. “To date, the Education Foundation has provided nearly 10,000 Cintas technician uniforms to collision students nationwide through the support of industry sponsors. Instructors share stories with us that these uniforms provide their collision students with a new level of respect around school and other school departments are jealous of the support that the collision program receives.”
The technician uniforms will be distributed to students who applied for the Education Foundation’s spring scholarship and tool grant opportunities and also to all auto body and refinishing students competing at the national SkillsUSA event in Kansas City this June.
"On behalf of the Foundation staff and the students that we are able to provide these uniforms to, thank you to the sponsors of our spring 2013 technician shirts and we look forward to distributing even more in the coming years," Eckenrode said.
The Education Foundation said it will donate 1,000 more technician uniforms this fall to collision repair students who attend the NACE and SEMA trade shows.
