3M and NAPA Hold Special Car Clean-Up Event for Military Spouses - BodyShop Business

3M and NAPA Hold Special Car Clean-Up Event for Military Spouses

Companies restored some 25 vehicles with services valued at nearly $10,000 for spouses of deployed and fallen soldiers from Ft. Bragg.

A pit crew demonstration was provided by members of NASCAR driver Greg Biffle's team.As part of their ongoing support of the military, the 3M “Hire Our Heroes” Program recently made a stop at Ft. Bragg in Fayetteville, N.C., to perform free vehicle detailing for spouses of deployed and fallen soldiers from the base – restoring some 25 vehicles with services valued at nearly $10,000.

The clean-up event offered a vehicle wash, wax, cleaning of windows, wheels, tires, plastic moldings, bumpers and trim, interior cleaning and vacuuming, and headlight restoration. The 3M Hire Our Heroes program also provides scholarships and grants to deserving military members and their families interested in a career in the collision industry. Information was offered while vehicles were being detailed.

Dale Ross, U.S. marketing operations manager for 3M’s Automotive Aftermarket Division, felt the services offered were a small contribution when compared to the soldiers’ contribution to keeping our nation safe.

“Our soldiers do so much for us, and the one thing they always say is, ‘Please take care of my family when I’m gone,’” Ross said. “We are doing that in a very small way by detailing, cleaning up and polishing the cars of the spouses of military service personnel who are deployed and the spouses of fallen soldiers.

“Through our connections within our industry, we had people from NAPA Auto Parts, the Fayetteville Community College and volunteers from some of the local body shops work with us to detail these vehicles for these deserving families.”

The event was held at Tisdale Equipment Maintenance Facility of the 525th Battlefield Surveillance Brigade (BfSB) Motorpool. The recipients included members from Survivor Outreach Services, 18th Airborne Corps and the Warrior Transition Battalion. Many attended with their children to enjoy the festivities while their vehicles were detailed.

Charlotte Watson, Survivor Outreach program manager, appreciated 3M’s support of military personnel. She is a part of Army Community Services at Fort Bragg that takes care of all families who have lost a service member while serving on active duty.

“What it means to our families is that they are still being thought of,” Watson said. “Their trials, their tribulations, and things they’ve gone through and continue to go through. You never get over the loss of a loved one, but you can get through it, and I think what events like 3M and all the people involved in this have done is allow them to know that the sacrifice they had with the loss of their soldier through illness, injury or killed in action, they are still a part of the military family and still being thought of. They appreciate it. They really do.”

Lauran Monk lost her husband, Austin Hunter Monk, to leukemia in 2011. She was very appreciative of the volunteers who detailed her Ford Flex back to showroom condition.

“My husband and I were going to purchase a Ford Flex together, and after he died, I needed something to transport my dogs because I have two big St. Bernards,” Monk said. “I think it’s amazing that 3M is here helping us and showing their appreciation and gratitude for us by doing something amazing. Having 3M come here and do this means so much to me. I love that they provide this service for us – anything anyone does to show appreciation for the military and the family members who are left behind when their loved ones die.”


More information:

3M Hire Our Heroes

3M

3M
Fax: 651-732-7640Contact: Monica Arcand

You May Also Like

NORTHEAST to Feature AASP/NJ’s Fourth Annual Young Technician Awards

Each award recipient will receive $2,500 in tools and equipment to help them build their toolkit toward a successful career in collision repair. 

The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of New Jersey (AASP/NJ) announced that, for the fourth consecutive year, it will be holding its Young Technician of the Year award ceremony during the NORTHEAST 2024 Automotive Services Show March 15-17 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center in Secaucus, N.J.

AASP/NJ will once again bestow this honor, made possible by an annual $5,000 donation from the Utica National Group Foundation (with the help of World Insurance Associates), upon two up-and-coming technicians/painters employed by a member shop or studying at a New Jersey technical high school. Each award recipient will receive $2,500 in tools and equipment to help them build their toolkit toward a successful career in collision repair. 

HD Repair Forum Opens Registration to Collision Conference

The HD Repair Forum announced that registration is now open for their annual collision industry conference April 24-25, 2024 in Frisco, Texas.

Bodywork Bowl Competition Returns for AASP/NJ’s NORTHEAST Show

The competition allows technicians to show off their skills for a chance to win amazing prizes.

Auto Care Connect 2024 Early-Bird Registration Now Open

The event will take place May 5-8, 2024, at the Hyatt Regency Chicago in downtown Chicago.

WIN Conference Registration Now Open

This year’s conference, themed “Dream Out Loud”, will be held May 6-8, 2024 at the Hyatt Regency Newport Beach in Newport Beach, Calif.

Other Posts

NABC to Host Three Golf Fundraisers in 2024

The NABC Changing and Saving Lives golf fundraisers provide an opportunity to join industry colleagues and customers for great golf and support the NABC.

NORTHEAST 2024 Attendee Badge Registration Now Open

Individuals can now start registering for the NORTHEAST Automotive Services Show to be held March 15-17, 2024 at the Meadowlands Exposition Center.

Central PA I-CAR Holding Bingo Fundraiser

The fundraiser, which will be held Jan. 20, 2024 from 1-5 p.m., will benefit Central Pennsylvania area collision programs.

CIF Announces 13th Annual Cocktails for a Cause

The goal of the annual charity event is to raise funds for emergency relief for collision repair industry professionals in times of crisis.