Midas Franchisees Donate 11 Vehicles in Largest Project Spark Event
Key Highlights
- Midas donated 11 refurbished vehicles during the largest Project Spark event in the program’s history.
- Nine Midas franchisees representing more than 280 stores across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut participated.
- Many recipients were first responders, veterans or family members with ties to 9/11.
- Midas franchisees and their teams donated the labor needed to repair, inspect and prepare the vehicles for recipients.
- Mavis Tire donated new tires, while Advance Auto Parts, NAPA Auto Parts and vehicle-donation organizations also supported the effort.
Midas International held the largest vehicle donation event in the history of its Project Spark initiative on Sept. 10, donating 11 refurbished vehicles to recipients, many of whom have connections to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Nine Midas franchisees representing stores in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Connecticut participated in the event, which took place in North Bergen, N.J. Together, the franchisees own and operate more than 280 Midas locations.
“Our Project Spark initiative has opened the door to new economic and mobility opportunities to individuals and families in need of accessible transportation options,” said Lenny Valentino Jr., president and COO of Midas International.
“Today's donation event is even more meaningful given we're honoring and remembering the 25th anniversary of 9/11.”
Recipients included first responders, veterans and their family members. Among them was a retired Jersey City firefighter who responded to Ground Zero on 9/11, as well as family members of other first responders.
Midas launched Project Spark in 2018. Since then, the program has provided hundreds of refurbished vehicles in the United States and Canada to first responders, veterans and families in need of transportation.
Midas franchisees and their employees provide the labor needed to prepare vehicles for recipients, including repairs, inspections and oil changes.
For the Sept. 10 event, Midas worked with Advance Auto Parts and NAPA Auto Parts. Vehicles were donated through 1-800-Charity Cars and other charitable organizations, while Mavis Tire donated new tires used in the vehicle refurbishment process.
Midas partnered with the First Responders Children's Foundation, Voices Center for Resilience and the New Jersey State Firefighter's Association to identify recipients.
“Reliable transportation is about so much more than getting from one place to another,” said Jillian Crane, president and CEO of First Responders Children's Foundation. “It means being able to get to school and work, greater independence and, importantly, peace of mind.”