CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Army veteran Shashanta Andrews was surprised with a new car by the Charlotte Checkers during their game Saturday night.
Andrews, who recently moved to Charlotte for a better opportunity through her job as a home healthcare aide and to support her family, received a new car from the Checkers, Geico, Caliber Collision and Veterans Bridge Home.
Andrews had to quit her job after her car blew a gasket on the way to Charlotte. The situation made it impossible for her to provide a living for her family.
"Without a car she had to quit her job," Steven Cole, VP of Advancement for Veterans Bridge Home, said. "She was a home healthcare aide, so she needed a car to get from house to house where she was doing her work. She’s also got two children and the youngest has cerebral palsy, so just getting him around is difficult, especially if you don’t have a vehicle."
Shortly after, Veterans Bridge Home nominated Andrews for a chance to win a new car through Recycled Rides, a program from the National Auto Body Council.
“It’s a Nissan Pathfinder donated by GEICO,” said Maciejewski. “GEICO is a tremendous player in this Recycled Rides program, they’re regularly involved with giving back. It’s great to have a partnership like that. The vehicle is going to be borderline new when the recipient gets it. For this one specifically, it had a little bit of damage on the front and rear, so we had teammates donate their time to repair, refinish and reassemble.”
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