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Letter to the Editor

NABC Presents 2003 PRIDE Awards

“The awards are given to individuals or companies who selflessly give of themselves in order to improve the world in which we live,” said Stacy Bartnik, Chairman of the 2003 Pride Awards committee. “It goes without saying that these four represent the best of the best that our industry has to offer. They bring credit to themselves, their communities and the industry as a whole.”

The first to be honored was Donald Christianson, a Wisconsin collision repair shop owner. During the worst highway accident in Wisconsin history, a fiery crash involving 50 cars that resulted in ten deaths and many injuries, Donald Christianson became a hero. Involved in the accident himself, Don repeatedly risked his life by returning to the accident scene to pull people from their flaming cars.

It is unknown exactly how many people Don saved before he, himself collapsed with 2nd and 3rd degree burns over 40 percent of his body. He spent the next 78 days in a medically-induced coma at a Milwaukee, WI burn center. Released from the hospital on February 21, 2003, Christianson returned to the industry. “We are incredibly proud to welcome him back,” stated Bartnik..

Roger Cada, Senior Claim Education and Training Instructor for State Farm Insurance, repairs cars in his spare time. He and others repair vehicles owned by single parents who cannot afford to maintain them, and they repair them for free. The names are supplied by local social service agencies, and those vehicles that can’t be repaired are replaced; again at no cost to the owner. To-date, nine vehicles have been given away. “Certainly Roger gives back to his community by helping those who are unable to help themselves,” Bartnik commented.

In 1998 Marco Grossi saw a flyer about Camp Mak-A-Dream and decided to get involved. The camp, located in Montana, offers a free camping experience to children diagnosed with cancer. That year Grossi, owner of Collision Craftsmen in Michigan, held a dinner dance and collected enough money to send three children to the camp. His involvement grew, and in 2002 he started a project to raise $500,000 to help fund a new health center for the camp. The funds, raised through the auspices of NABC and the Collision Industry Foundation got the center built. It was dedicated on October 18 of this year.

911 Collision Centers in Tucson, AZ is unusual because of the way the owners, Michael Quinn and Patrick O’Neill, involve their entire business in community service. Not only are Quinn and O’Neill active in local charities, but they encourage every employee to take on a cause as well. The result is that virtually every employee, from the operations manager to the bookkeeper, is actively involved in some activity that benefits the community in which they live. And they are involved in everything from the American Red Cross and Ronald McDonald Children’s Charities to Adopt-A-Highway programs.

“The National Auto Body Council’s mission is to improve the image of our industry,” stated Doug Webb, NABC Chairman. “These people represent everything good the industry has to offer. I hope others in the industry look at them as role models, because that is how they deserve to be seen. I congratulate them for showing our industry in the best possible light.”

©2003 Collision Repair Industry INSIGHT
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