ATD Golf Classic Nets $170,000 in Charity Donations

American Tire Distributors made $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.
From left, David Brown, community development coordinator/child hunger programs for Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, and Kathy Helms, manager of agency services and programs, accept a $35,000 contribution from American Tire Distributors president and CEO Bill Berry.
The gifts were announced earlier this week 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 Bill Berry, president and CEO. “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.”

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 its subsidiary Tire Pros have supported in the past. The existing playgrounds are located in the Charlotte, Jackson, Miss., and Memphis metro areas.

ATD also donated $35,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Metrolina, which provides food and other essential grocery products to the over 405,000 people living at or below the poverty level in the region, including 145,000 children.

Another $35,000 was donated to The Salvation Army Center of Hope, an emergency shelter for homeless women and children.

GRI recently conducted programs in Sri Lanka to empower women and motivate children under its Green x Circle initiative. The company said these endeavors aimed to address the needs of the community, focusing on both women empowerment and youth motivation.

GRI recently organized a training program titled "Management of household finance under current economic conditions" at the Ingiriya Rubber Collecting Center in Sri Lanka, South Asia led by Shashika Nimali, an NLP practitioner and life coach. The company said this initiative provided women in the industry with essential skills and knowledge to effectively manage household finances. GRI's tailored training sessions equipped participants with tools for informed decision-making, ultimately fostering greater financial security and independence, the company said.