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Photo by Bill Mills, MCPS photographer.

Photo: Damascus student Shannon Schooly greets van recipient Max Carre. Looking on are Damascus students Shawn Nugent and Zack Kimble, and hospital vice president and administrator Doris Reinhart.


News archive 2007-2008

News archive 2006-2007

Thursday February 12, 2009

Gift Vehicle Ceremony

PAYING IT FORWARD

Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation, Inc. (ATF)

Damascus High School auto labs

9:30 a.m. ceremony

Recipient: Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of MD

The Montgomery County Students Automotive Trades Foundation, Inc. (ATF) students  reconditioned and donated a Dodge Ram conversion van, with a hydraulic lift, to Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of MD (ARHM).  Christine Thompson of Elkridge Auto Auction provided the van to the ATF.  The van will be utilized in transporting ARHM patients to and from community locations, as patients practice activities of daily living and acquire adaptive skills needed for community re-entry.

This project provides an opportunity for the ATF students to put into practice their automotive skills and also earn community service hours, while developing a deeper appreciation for the concepts of charity and community involvement. As Damascus High School auto technology student Shannon Schooly stated in her speech, "No one ever knows when he or she may need the help of ARHM.  This is our way of  PAYING IT FORWARD; it is a project that keeps on giving."

The ATF is a non-profit organization established cooperatively by the Montgomery County business and professional community and Montgomery County Public Schools. It provides a unique method of hands-on training for high school students to earn valuable automotive certifications that will prepare them for higher educational opportunities or direct entry into the automotive job market. ATF programs are located at Damascus, Edison, Gaithersburg, and Seneca Valley high schools.