3 minute read
Collision Repair Students Restore Prized Vehicle for Kidnapping Survivor
Back in 2003, 15-year-old Cleveland resident Amanda Berry loved spending time with her grandfather and working with him on his prized 1986 Monte Carlo. He promised her that the car would be hers when she turned 16, but the day before her birthday delivered a nightmare that no one should ever endure. After being kidnapped, she was held hostage for a full decade before finally escaping and reuniting with her family. The story made national headlines and put Berry in the media spotlight, but she was just excited to be back with her loved ones and have an opportunity to continue working on the car.
Sadly, her grandfather was soon diagnosed with dementia; as a result, he struggled to remember her before he passed away. Despite this tragic loss, she kept the beloved Monte Carlo, which by that time was in a greatly deteriorated state. Berry’s story caught the attention of the auto body department of Max S. Hayes High School in Cleveland. Beginning in 2019, dozens of students put in hundreds of hours – including on Saturdays – to fully restore the vehicle as per I-CAR standards. Thanks to the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), the revamped Monte Carlo was unveiled publicly for the first time during a special ceremony at the July Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Cleveland.
Appearing on stage prior to seeing the upgraded Monte Carlo, Berry expressed her deep appreciation for every student who gave of themselves to provide this special gift.
“First and foremost, thank you to my grandfather, who’s now in Heaven. He’s watching down, and he watched all of you guys do all the hard work. For that, I’ll be forever grateful and thankful […] This is a dream come true that I actually didn’t think would ever come true.”
Amanda Berry reunited with a very special Monte Carlo SS
PROTECTING CONSUMERS AND THE COLLISION INDUSTRY
MASSACHUSETTS
INTRODUCING OUR NEW NORTHEAST DISTRIBUTORS
A Message from Ron Olsson, Pro Spot International President
It’s with great pleasure that I introduce you to our two new Northeast Distributors, Centerline and Collision Tools, as our only authorized distributors in the region. We’re proud to partner with such quality companies who have been leaders in the collision repair industry for 30 plus years.
I’m also very proud of our team and our current product offerings that have been leading our industry for so many years. Knowing what we have in development and the new technologies that we are working on, we will continue to revolutionize the collision repair industry for many years to come. And it means so much to all of us at Pro Spot to be being a “Made in America” manufacturer because of the competitive advantage that this brings.
As your trusted collision repair partner in the Northeast region for 30 years, we’ve been through a lot together and today, we’re stronger than ever. Know that you have my personal commitment that we will never disappoint you and we will never let you down. We appreciate your business and know that we are behind you 100%.
In closing, please make sure to verify that your welders are registered with Pro Spot to assure that your warranty is up to date and valid. Don’t hesitate to contact our team, or me directly and let’s continue to build the future together!
Sincerely Ron Olsson, President
Long Island, NY, Eastern PA, NJ
www.centerlinespraybooths.com johnjr@centerlinesraybooths.com 631-841-3200 www.collisiontoolsinc.com jackwcti@gmail.com 855-219-2022
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