The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) announced that it partnered with Global Finishing Solutions (GFS) and famed custom car builder Ringbrothers in October 2021 for a sky-high event that ended up raising funds for four Wisconsin schools
While helicopter ball drops have been held in conjunction with golf tournaments to support CREF in the past, the idea of hosting a helicopter ball drop as a standalone event is a newer venture that has proven to be a successful way to support high school and college collision repair programs.
“GFS and Ringbrothers are longtime partners, and we both have a commitment to supporting collision repair education,” said Jim Faragher, president of GFS. “To raise grant money through the Collision Repair Education Foundation with a unique event like this is very special. It is a great feeling to see students use the products we produce in their programs to gain additional knowledge of this industry.”
Each of the following schools will receive a $2,000 Benchmark Grant:
- Chippewa Valley Technical College (Eau Claire, Wis.)
- Fox Valley Technical College (Appleton, Wis.)
- Freedom High School (Freedom, Wis.)
- Germantown High School (Germantown, Wis.)
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 2022 Collision School Career Readiness Benchmark Grants will be available online in January 2022.
Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting CREF’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs should contact Brandon Eckenrode, managing director, at (312) 231-0258 or [email protected]. Monetary donations can be made online.
