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Letter to the Editor

NABC Announces 2001 PRIDE Award Winners

St. Charles, IL -- The National Auto Body Council has announced the winners of the 2001 Pride Awards. Started in 1995, the PRIDE Award program is designed to recognize businesses, individuals, and groups who distinguish themselves and the industry by performing humanitarian and/or service deeds outside of their normal job responsibilities.

The winners are: A. Michael Anderson, Owner/Manager of Wagonwork Collision Center in Alexandria, Virginia; Clint Arndt, Metal Technician from Wentworth Buick Body Shop in Eugene, Oregon; Alex Szabo, President of Dundas Valley Collision Centre in Dundas Ontario, Canada; and Gigi Walker, Owner of Walker's Auto Body in Concord, California.

A. Michael Anderson from Wagonwork Collision Center in Virginia has been a regional chairman of Skills USA/VICA contests for the past 10 years and was state contest chairman for four years. He serves on the ASE Test Review Board and is Secretary of the Washington Metropolitan Auto Body Association. Each year, Michael gathers money, items and Easter Bunnies for Children's Hospital and delivers the goods dressed as the Easter Bunny himself. He is the youth pastor of his church, has worked at several homeless shelters, delivered turkeys and hams at Christmas and Thanksgiving and also has worked with delinquent children through a mentorship program.

Alex Szabo from Dundas Valley Collision Centre in Ontario, Canada has been active in his local Auto Body Repair Association, and was a founding member and first President of the Collision Standards Council of Ontario. Alex served for two years as the Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce, is an award winning member of the Dundas Rotary Club, is a member of the Salvation Army Citizen's Advisory Board, for four years served as founding chairman of the Dundas Food Drive for the Needy, is a past Board member of the Industry Education Council Advisory Board, was a winner of the Premier's Pollution Prevention Award in Ontario and more.

Clint Arndt from Wentworth Buick Body Shop in Oregon is the "unsung hero" in bringing charges and a conviction against a hit-and-run driver who killed a 12-year old girl. Clint was nominated by Florida Highway Patrolman David Long, who has never met Clint but has read about him. Officer Long stated, "Clint is a great representative for all the unsung heroes in the auto body profession that discreetly work with law enforcement each year in the apprehension of hit and run road predators." According to Officer Long, many victims of this crime would have never found the peace of knowing the killer of their loved one was caught and prosecuted without the concern and compassion of the auto body industry.

Gigi Walker of Walker's Auto Body in California is a third generation collision repairer. She started as an auto painter, worked in several shops and opened her own shop in 1988. Gigi has volunteered in the California Auto Body Association's Technical Review Committee, is past President of the East Bay Autobody Association and is currently the Editor of the association's newsletter. Gigi actively promotes the collision repair industry to women and young people. Gigi participates in the Avon Walk for the Cure, an event to benefit breast cancer research. Gigi is also actively involved in the Model Truck Competition of the East Bay Autobody Association. This Toys for Tots fund raiser involves local shops customizing Nylint big rig scale toys, then selling them at auction, bringing in over $3,000 in cash and an additional 125 toys. The local press coverage is invaluable for the local collision repair industry.

The award winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges representing a cross section of the various industry segments and appointed by the NABC Board of Directors. The 2001 National PRIDE Award winners were presented with their awards at PRIDE Night during the Collision Concepts Conference held April 6, 2001 in Minneapolis.

"We are very pleased with the candidates who were nominated this year. It was difficult to chose from among the many deserving candidates," said Dan Greenwald of Greenwald's Autobody and Frameworks, Inc., Chairman of the PRIDE Award Committee. "These PRIDE Award winners enable us to showcase some of the great things that are going on in communities across this country. We are an industry that cares, an industry that gives back to their communities."

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