Bridgestone Donates $500,000 to Support Transportation Needs for Boys & Girls Clubs

• Funds will ensure Clubs have reliable transportation for winter months as they continue serving kids and families amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The donation is part of the Bridgestone Driving Great Futures initiative, which helps kids and teens gain access to high-impact programming from Boys & Girls Clubs.
• To date, Bridgestone has also donated $1.6 million to support COVID-19 relief efforts at Boys & Girls Clubs across the country.

NASHVILLE, TENN., December 8, 2020 /3BL Media/ - Bridgestone Retail Operations (Bridgestone), a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas, announced it has donated $500,000 to ensure 40 Boys & Girls Clubs across the country have access to reliable transportation that will allow them to continue serving kids and families into the winter months, during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With this donation, Bridgestone had given a total of $13.9 million to Boys & Girls Clubs of America since 2015 through the company’s Driving Great Futures initiative.

“Our Driving Great Futures partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America works to help solve one of the biggest challenges kids and families face: getting to and from the Clubs safely each day,” said Joe Venezia, president, Bridgestone Retail Operations. “This year, dependable transportation has taken on a new meaning, as Clubs have continued serving communities during this challenging time by addressing food insecurity and supporting virtual learning needs. This donation ensures Clubs are armed with reliable, well-serviced vehicles that will allow them to do this important work through the tough winter months.”

Clubs will use their transportation grants for a variety of purposes, including servicing or repairing existing vehicles, winterizing their vans for the coming season, or purchasing new Club vehicles. The contribution is the result of customer donations collected in Q3 2020 across the Bridgestone nationwide network of 2,200+ tire and automotive service centers doing business as Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus, Hibdon Tires Plus and Wheel Works.

"We are so thankful to have Bridgestone as a dedicated partner to our mission,” said Jim Clark, president and CEO of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “The Driving Great Futures campaign has been critical for Clubs in need every year. Thank you to the network of Bridgestone stores and its customers for another successful campaign year. The funds raised will ensure thousands of kids and teens will get to and from the Club safely this winter season.”

In April and September of this year, Bridgestone also supported Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s COVID-19 Relief Fund with a total donation of $1.6 million. The fund was launched to ensure Club staff, youth, families and communities have the resources and support needed to navigate challenging circumstances during the ongoing global health pandemic.

About Bridgestone Americas, Inc.:

Nashville, Tennessee-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. is a subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, a global leader providing sustainable mobility and advanced solutions. Bridgestone Americas develops, manufactures and markets a diverse portfolio of original equipment and replacement tires, tire-centric solutions, mobility solutions, and other rubber-associated and diversified products that deliver social value and customer value. Guided by its global corporate social responsibility commitment, Our Way to Serve, Bridgestone is dedicated to shaping a sustainable future of mobility and improving the way people move, live, work and play.

About Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC:

Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC (BSRO) is headquartered in Nashville, Tenn. and operates the largest network of company-owned automotive service providers in the world — more than 2,200 tire and vehicle service centers across the United States — including Firestone Complete Auto Care, Tires Plus, Hibdon Tires Plus and Wheel Works store locations. Credit First National Association and Firestone Complete Fleet Care operations are also part of BSRO. BSRO is a member of the Bridgestone Americas family of companies.