The National Auto Body Council (NABC), along with Allstate, Farmers, Nationwide, Schaefer Autobody Centers, Crash Champions and Caliber Collision, recently held a special Recycled Rides presentation to honor two families of fallen first responders and a military member on Patriot Day. The event was hosted by Enterprise Rent-A-Car and received additional support from Evercoat.

The presentation was held on Monday, Sept. 11 at Boone Valley Golf Club in Augusta, Mo. Following the golf fundraiser, players and guests gathered for the heartwarming presentation for the military and first responder families.

“We are pleased to provide needed vehicles to these St. Louis area families,” said Deborah Robinson, executive director of the NABC. “Working with our members and partners and presenting the gifts of reliable transportation to these three families is core to our mission. We are very thankful for their service and sacrifices and are honored to help them along their path. We wish them continued success.”

Two deserving recipients were selected by The Backstoppers, Inc. Police Officers and Firefighters Fund, and the third by the Soldier and Family Readiness Group:

• Sue Reifschneider, who received a 2018 Kia Forte LX donated by Allstate and repaired by Schaefer Autobody Centers (a member of the Quality Collision Group), was nominated by The Backstoppers. Her previous vehicle was unreliable and in the repair shop most of the time. Reifschneider had to rely on family and friends for rides to work and doctor’s appointments. She is the widow of St. Louis County Police Officer James Reifschneider who was killed in the line of duty when he was struck by a motorist while conducting a traffic stop. Reifschneider raised their three children as a single mother. One of her children serves in law enforcement and one of her grandchildren serves in emergency medical services.
• Cheryl Branson, who received 2021 Subaru Forrester donated by Nationwide and repaired by Caliber Collision, was nominated by The Backstoppers. She needed worry-free transportation to work since her previous vehicle had left her stranded multiple times. Branson is the widow of St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer James W. Branson, Jr., who died in the line of duty as the result of injuries sustained several days prior in an auto accident while in pursuit of a stolen vehicle.
• Jorden Johnson received a 2016 Fiat 500X Trekking donated by Farmers and repaired by Crash Champions. He was nominated by the Soldier and Family Readiness Group for Bravo Company, 1-138th Infantry. Johnson is a Private First Class in the Missouri Army National Guard and he needed a vehicle to maintain his job at General Motors and continue to serve the Guard. He has a young family, and dependable transportation will help him to continue to provide for his family.

“We’re a family business dedicated to giving back to our community, and this is one of the many ways we work to help those in need,” said Scott Schaefer, second-generation owner of Schaefer Autobody. “It’s an honor for our team to work on refurbishing a vehicle to help a first responder family who has sacrificed for our community. We’re proud to be able to support them.”

Additional partners in the presentation include 1-800 Charity Cars; Evercoat; Longhouse Inventory Solutions; Bommarito; Yancey; Dent Wizard; Sick Tint; Onsite Wheels; Lou Fusz; and University Subaru.

For more information on Recycled Rides, click here.