- July 14, 2025
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Preparing a vehicle for United States Army veteran David Quintano required staff at Crash Champions Sarasota to donate their time and effort.
After speaking with his staff, Albert Andujar, a general manager, volunteered the store for the giveaway, which was facilitated by the National Auto Body Council's (NABC) Recycled Rides program.
The shop repaired the front bumper and hood, replaced a fender, and painted 90% of the 2018 Hyundai Elantra, with other companies contributing as well.
On Wednesday, May 21, Quintano, nominated by SRQ Vets, received the fully refurbished vehicle when at The Westin Sarasota.
"It's amazing. It's beyond what I thought it would be," he said.
The giveaway brought together multiple organizations including vehicle donor Nationwide and event presenter and NABC member Automotive Body Parts Association.
According to the NABC, Quintano grew up in a single-parent household and spent much of his childhood raised by his grandmother.
As a teenager, he became involved with gangs, but had abandoned that life by high school, where he performed well academically and played the clarinet, saxophone and trumpet.
The NABC said after his mother became a police officer, creating tension with his friends and the community, he joined the U.S. Army.
He served in the army from 1980 to 1988.
"We don't serve for the accolades," he said. "We just do it because it's our duty. It's what we're supposed to do, so to be appreciated for that, it means a lot."
In 1990, he became a paramedic in New York City. He later moved to Florida with his wife and daughter, serving as a volunteer with Manatee County EMS before working for the DeSoto County Fire Department.
In 2021, he went to for Pennsylvania to care for his mother, who died from cancer in 2023, but after returning to Florida to stay with his daughter, her apartment was condemned and he became homeless.
However, he has now received housing through the Salvation Army and is in training as a 911 dispatcher with Manatee County.
Quintano said what he's most looking forward to with the new vehicle is using it to get to work, as it will turn a two-hour bus ride into a 10-minute commute, while he is also looking forward to a little extra sleep in the mornings.
However, he also appreciated the extent of the repair job.
"For one thing, I wasn't expecting that," he said. "Usually, you hear about these things and it's just a car with some tires and a motor, and it works. This is, like, showroom floor."
Andujar said repairing a vehicle for a U.S. veteran had been a daunting process that involved removing every small nick to make it appear new.
"You want to put out a good product," he said. "You want your company to be represented well... and obviously, being involved with something like this is a great thing, to be able to give back to a person that's protected us, and gave his time to make sure we were all safe. It's the least I could do."
