The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) announced that it will be competing with nine other charities for the biggest share of $400,000 as part of LKQ’s inaugural LKQ Cares Holiday Vote on Giving Tuesday.
CREF will be competing against a list of national and international charities that includes the American Cancer Society, Red Cross, UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO) Foundation.
“The foundation is competing with some of the largest, best-known charities around the globe, so it’s basically a ‘David v. Goliath’ situation,” said Brandon Eckenrode, managing director for CREF. “This is a great opportunity for the collision repair industry and any automotive enthusiast to be seen and heard by voting and helping generate awareness around who we are and what we do.”
The LKQ Community Foundation donations through this program total $500,000. Each charity begins with a $10,000 donation, and the LKQ Community Foundation plans to distribute the remaining $400,000 based on the number of votes received now (Giving Tuesday) through the Dec. 12 11:45 p.m. CST deadline. Each vote for CREF generates more funds for CREF. In turn, those dollars will benefit the future of the collision industry through school grants, student scholarships and other endeavors. The online voting URL allows one vote per person, per device.
To vote, click here.
Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting CREF’s efforts to assist secondary and college collision repair training programs should contact Brandon Eckenrode at (312) 231-0258 or [email protected].