The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) announced that Service King awarded them $25,000 worth of funding to be distributed to six schools in need.

Four $5,000 grants were awarded through CREF’s Benchmark Grant program, and two Texas high schools received $2,500 each through the Service King Way Grant: In Honor of Mario Malacara. Eligibility for these awards was achieved by applying for CREF’s 2020 Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Grant.

“Service King is dedicated to supporting young talent interested in the auto collision industry,” said Sean Huurman, chief human resources officer for Service King. “Our financial commitment to these schools is one piece of our partnership to provide a practical education for those needing assistance. We are thrilled to support these programs and students.”

The Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Grants recognize schools that excel at educating students in collision repair, but due to strained school budgets, the programs require additional financial assistance. Recipient schools use these funds to provide the tools, equipment and supplies necessary to enhance their students’ learning experience and elevate the caliber of their graduates, ensuring that graduates are prepared to successfully enter the workforce upon graduation. Applications for the 2021 Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Grants will be available online in March 2021.

Service King awarded $5,000 Benchmark Grants to:

• Contra Costa College (San Pablo, Calif.)
• Maxwell High School of Technology (Lawrenceville, Ga.)
• Lincoln College of Technology (Nashville, Tenn.)
• Collin College (Allen, Texas)

The Service King Way Grant was established in 2017 to honor the memory of Mario Malacara, an admired member of the Service King family. Malacara dedicated his life to the collision industry, and his loyalty left a lasting impact on the industry, through his mentorship and legislative efforts. His legacy lives on through this grant, allowing him to continue to inspire the next generation of collision repair professionals.

Two schools received $2,500 Service King Way Grants:

• Skyline High School (Dallas, Texas)
• Kingwood Park High School (Kingwood, Texas)

Service King has supported the efforts of CREF since 1994.

Industry members interested in supporting CREF’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs should contact Brandon Eckenrode, director of development, at (312) 231-0258 or [email protected].