American Tire Distributors (ATD) has announced $170,000 in charitable gifts, including a $100,000 donation to Boundless Playgrounds to support the creation of two inclusive Tread Town playgrounds, and $35,000 each to Charlotte-area charities Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina and The Salvation Army Center of Hope.
The gifts were announced at the company’s 22nd Annual ATD Charity Classic golf tournament, an event that has raised more than $1 million in total funds for local nonprofit organizations. This year’s donations were raised by contributions from vendors participating in the golf tournament and a contribution from ATD.
“We’ve been a member of the Charlotte community for over 75 years and we believe it’s absolutely essential to support groups that help address the important needs of our community,” said William E. “Bill” Berry, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Tire Distributors Inc. “We want to thank all our vendors whose generous contributions along with ATD’s direct gift have made it possible to support this year’s recipients so that they can assist those who are in need of help.”
Reflecting ATD’s position as the nation’s largest independent supplier of replacement tires, each Boundless Playground Tread Town’s foundation is constructed from recycled rubber, creating a universally accessible surface that allows children and caregivers with and without disabilities to enjoy the playground freely and safely. The playground promotes inclusive, unstructured play with ramped wheelchair access to the highest platforms, features exclusive Tread Town tire swings, and a multitude of other cutting-edge fitness and educational-based activities
ATD’s donation of $100,000 will go to support the creation of two Tread Town playgrounds, and potential sites have been identified on the west coast and in the Southeast. The new playgrounds will resemble the Tread Towns that ATD and their subsidiary Tire Pros have supported in the past. The existing playgrounds are located in the Charlotte, NC, Jackson, MS, and Memphis, TN metro areas.
“Nearly 7 million children nationwide have a disability that prohibits them from enjoying the full experience of a traditional community playground,” said Fred Leone, Chief Executive Officer of Boundless Playgrounds. “Our playgrounds are designed to put all children in the middle of the fun, where they can play together and learn to appreciate each others’ abilities.”
ATD also donated $35,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina provides food and other essential grocery products to the over 405,000 people living at or below the poverty level in the region, which includes 145,000 children. ATD’s donation will assist in the Backpack Program initiative that provides food for children at risk of hunger on weekends and holidays when school meals are not available. The backpacks are distributed every Friday and include soups, fruit, canned chicken, and several other items.
“We are very pleased to receive this donation from American Tire Distributors,” said Kay Carter, Executive Director of Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina. “This donation comes at a great time. School has just started back and children who are at risk of hunger are in need of the backpacks full of nutritious, ready-to-eat foods on the weekends when subsidized school meals are not available. Donations like this help us continue our current backpack programs and help start new ones.”
ATD donated another $35,000 to The Salvation Army Center of Hope, an emergency shelter for homeless women and children. “The Center of Hope is the place women come to when they have no other options,” said Deronda Metz, director of The Salvation Army’s Social Services. ATD’s gift will help Charlotte’s only 24/7 year-round emergency shelter provide lodging, food, professional case management, and a variety of programs to the 5,600 women and children that stay at the Center of Hope each year.
American Tire Distributors is the nation’s largest independent supplier of tires to the replacement tire market. The company focuses on helping tire and wheel retail dealers effectively compete in their marketplace by offering the most complete, coast-to-coast selection of tires, wheels and related products and value-added services. American Tire Distributors employs almost 3,000 employees across its nationwide distribution center network, including more than 350 people in the Charlotte region at its Huntersville, N.C. field support center, Charlotte distribution center and regional hub in Maiden, NC.
