Bridgestone Donates New Passenger Vans to 12 Boys & Girls Clubs

Bridgestone Retail Operations (Bridgestone), a subsidiary of Bridgestone Americas, surprised youth from 12 Boys & Girls Clubs located across the country this holiday season by donating new passenger vans that will give more kids and teens access to high-impact, out-of-school programming. The donations are a part of Bridgestone’s “Driving Great Futures” initiative, which has raised over $20 million to connect kids and teens with Boys & Girls Clubs of America programs and resources nationwide since 2015, the manufacturer said.

In 2015, Bridgestone established its national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America with the mission of making out-of-school programming more accessible to Club youth and their families.

The new vans will provide transportation for kids to get to and from the clubs, as well as allow for field trips, college tours and other enrichment opportunities. Bridgestone said it will also support these Boys & Girls Clubs by maintaining the new vehicles at its retail stores, helping to ensure that they stay in good working order. Van grant Club recipients included:

Boys & Girls Club of Allentown in Allentown, Pa.;
Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell in Lowell, Mass.;
Boys & Girls Club of Hawaii in Honolulu, Hawaii;
Boys & Girls Club of Hernando County in Brooksville, Fla.;
Boys & Girls Club of Meriden in Meriden, Conn.;
Boys & Girls Clubs of Durham and Orange Counties in Durham, N.C.;
Boys & Girls Clubs of Fresno County in Fresno, Calif.;
Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Cruz County in Santa Cruz, Calif.;
Boys & Girls Clubs of Stoneham and Wakefield in Stoneham, Mass.;
Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County in Goldsboro, N.C.;
Boys & Girls Clubs of Wayne County Indiana Inc. In Richmond, Ind.;
Jackie Robinson Boys & Girls Club of Cairo-Grady County in Thomasville, Ga.

In addition, Bridgestone donated a total of $400,000 in transportation grants to 20 other Boys & Girls Clubs to maintain existing Club fleets or support the purchase of new Club passenger vans.

Through donations collected at the company’s 2,200+ retail stores, Bridgestone said it has contributed funds to address transportation-related needs, including maintenance and repairs of existing Club vehicles and the purchase of new vans, as well as bridge technology divides through the purchase of new computers and hotspots that support in-person Club programming, virtual classroom learning and other technology infrastructure needs.

The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company has named Ryan Waldron as president of the company's Americas business unit, reporting to Chief Executive Officer and President Mark Stewart. He succeeds Steven R. McClellan, who retired on April 1.

"At Goodyear, our customers are at the center of everything we do, and in Ryan Waldron, we have a customer-centric, execution-focused business leader with a deep understanding of both the marketplace and all aspects of our business, as well as a proven track record of delivering results," Stewart said. "I am thrilled to announce him as president of Goodyear's Americas business and have enormous confidence that under his leadership, both the company and our customers will reach even greater levels of success."