Crash Champions Collision Repair Team has raised $200,000 for Collision Engineering, a two-year associate degree program.

Co-founded by Enterprise Mobility and Ranken Technical College in St. Louis, the Collision Engineering Program (CEP) was created in 2020 to proactively address the technician shortage by fostering collaboration between education and industry to develop a sustainable pipeline of skilled professionals who are well-equipped to perform proper and safe vehicle repairs. Students rotate between classroom instruction and a paid apprenticeship in a collision repair facility.

In 2023, Crash Champions partnered with CEP to provide apprenticeships for students in its shops.

The Dec. 5 contribution was presented at the Crash Champions’s 11th annual Charity Golf Outing in California. The event brings together hundreds of collision repair industry professionals, vendors, and partners to raise funds for nonprofit organizations.

Crash Champions says the latest contribution is part of its growing commitment to support CEP.

“The entire Collision Engineering team, along with our network of partner schools, instructors, and students, are so grateful for the generosity of Crash Champions and all the collision repair industry partners who contributed to this incredible donation,” said Mary Mahoney, Enterprise Mobility vice president, in a press release.

“Enterprise Mobility has a huge stake in the health of the automotive repair industry and is committed to doing our part to invest in its success. But we absolutely cannot do it alone. Contributions like this one exemplify the importance of industry partners coming together to address the global technician shortage and develop the next generation of collision repair professionals.”

The $200,000 donation is the largest in the 11-year history of the Crash Champions Charity Golf Outing. Funds were raised through participation in the golf outing along with a corresponding auction and direct contributions by participants.

“At Crash Champions, our vision statement is ‘We Champion People,’ and this event symbolizes just how the industry can come together to make a significant positive impact for an organization that is committed to investing in young people,” said Matt Ebert, Crash Champions founder and CEO, in the release.

“Collision Engineering’s program is inspiring and training the next generation of body technicians by connecting them with forward-thinking colleges and a hands-on apprenticeship model that prepares them for a successful career. We’re proud to support their team and are grateful for the hundreds of partners and vendors who made this event a tremendous success.”

Coming up in February is another fundraising event to support education, this time focused on Minnesota students.

The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota (AASP-MN) will hold its 23rd annual “Race for Automotive Education” Feb. 24-27 at ProKart Indoor Racing in Burnsville.

The event serves as AASP-MN’s primary fundraiser for its Automotive Education Fund. The fund provides financial resources to support automotive students, enhance automotive programs, and raise awareness of career opportunities in the automotive service industry. Since its inception, the fund has provided nearly $340,000 directly to students enrolled in automotive programs through the association’s scholarship program and SkillsUSA competition.

AASP-MN members and other industry supporters will organize teams to compete in kart racing at speeds of up to 40 miles per hour. When the final checkered flag waves, the “Race for Automotive Education” is expected to raise over $15,000. The money will be earmarked to fund scholarships for students enrolled in ASE-accredited automotive programs (collision repair or auto service) in Minnesota.

Scholarship awards will be announced in the spring of 2025.

Images

Featured image: Kart racing from a previous AASP-MN “Race for Automotive Education” fundraising event. (Provided by AASP-MN)

Matt Ebert, Crash Champions founder and CEO, is pictured with CEP instructors and students holding a check for $200,000, which was raised at the 11th annual Charity Golf Outing on Dec. 5, 2024. (Provided by Crash Champions)