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.
