Repair shop to give away renovated van

People in need will benefit

A local auto body shop is starting what it hopes will be an annual contest to give away a renovated vehicle to an individual or family in need.

Chris Preputin, owner of Custom Collision Repair on 1st Street Northeast in Havre, says he is giving away the vehicle to express gratitude for the support he has received over the course of nearly eight years in business from area residents. Never having owned a business before and not exactly having state-of-the-art equipment when he started out, Preputin said it was the generosity of area customers that gave his business a chance to survive.

"If it wasn't for the community supporting me when I probably wasn't the greatest shop in town, I wouldn't be here to be able to give back."

Entrants must submit an essay stating why they or an individual or family they know should get the vehicle, a revamped 2003 Dodge Caravan. The essay should articulate the financial and life situation of the person or family in question. Submissions will then be looked over by a three-person panel of judges chosen by Preputin, which this year includes Havre Mayor Tim Solomon, Shari Robinson of the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce and an unspecified person from My Neighbor in Need.

The judges and Preputin will then get together for dinner where they will announce their selection. The winner will then be announced at Custom Collision's Customer Appreciation Day, which will be held after the annual Festival Days parade.

A loyal customer sold the vehicle to Custom Collision for $500 in November, after having sustained significant body damage from a hailstorm and after having struck a deer. Preputin and his eight-person collision tech staff did the body work on it, while Bergren Transmissions Inc. did the electrical work which included repairing the brakes and installing a power steering pump. In all, Preputin estimates about $4,000 worth of repairs had to be made to the van, before they completed the renovation process in July.

The deadline for submitting essays was initially Sept. 1, however Preputin has said he will likely extend the deadline to the week before Festival Days. Essays can be dropped off Custom Collision Repair's shop or at the Havre Area Chamber of Commerce.

Preputin says he doesn't know how many essays have been submitted so far saying he wants to keep out of the selection process to avoid any perception he might be biased toward customers who enter the contest and to let representatives of the community select a winner. However, he has suggested criteria for judging, preferring but not requiring that the vehicle go to a family or someone who is taking care of family.

Preputin said he had the idea last year during Festival Days.

The response to the contest has, in the words of Preputin, been "super great" with people applauding him for the idea.

"There is a huge need for even basic transportation here in Havre which I did not realize," said Preputin.

Going forward, Perputin said, he wants to revamp and give away a few vehicles each year during Festival Days and hopes that other businesses follow his lead.