Hank Tarter jokes that if you're going to have a heart attack, the place to be is Keizer, Oregon, a community of 35,000 residents just north of Oregon's capitol city of Salem.

"That's because one of the civic group's recent fund-raisers that we helped with here put defibrillators in every Keizer police car," says Tarter, owner of Tarter's Keizer Collision Center, who took an active role in making the fund-raising effort successful.

Tarter believes in giving back to the community in which he lives and does business, and is regularly involved with Rotary and Chamber of Commerce auctions, raffles and other efforts to raise money for community projects. His shop, which employs 15 people, also sponsors Little League and high school sports.

"You do it, first and foremost, because you like doing your civic duty, doing something for the community where you've lived for 27 years, and I do enjoy that," Tarter says. "Otherwise, it's too easy to get caught up in your own world and your day-to-day stuff."

And while Tarter's efforts may be unique among collision repair shop owners in his town, it's not hard to find shop owners around the country doing similar things for their communities.

"It doesn't take too long in talking with just a few shop owners, managers and technicians to realize this is a very giving industry," says Chuck Sulkala, executive director of the National Auto Body Council.

Shops paint trucks for kids

Gigi Walker is another shop owner who has found a way to make a difference in the lives of children and families in her community.

Walker, owner of Walker's Auto Body in Concord, California, participates each fall in a friendly competition - among shops in the East Bay Chapter of the California Autobody Association, including Mike's Autobody also of Concord - to customize models of tractor-trailers.

"Usually about a dozen East Bay area shops participate, and each has about two and a half months to customize their truck," Walker said. "Some of the shops put hundreds of hours into these trucks. Then in November we get together for a big dinner and auction. The trucks get auctioned off for anywhere from $200 to $1,000 each."

While the silent auction is taking place, the fancy paint jobs and other customizing work done on the trucks are judged by a 3-person panel that generally includes a local artist and a local or state government official. At the end of the evening, all of the funds raised through the auction are presented to uniformed Marines who attend on behalf of the Toys for Tots charity.

"We had about 250 people at the dinner last year, and we ask each of them to bring a new toy to donate as well," Walker said. "A lot of people bring more than one, so this last year in addition to the $4,000 we raised, Toys for Tots received 300 to 400 toys as well.

"It's really a one-of-a-kind event," Walker said. "It really brings our industry together and lets our techs showcase their stuff - in a small way, but for a great cause."

Donating a repaired car

Brad Shelton said that several years ago Akzo Nobel brought him an idea for another way he could give back to his community - and he's been giving a car away to a needy family every year since.

"I like to give back to people and try to help people out. That's just kind of my nature," said Shelton, owner of Shelton Collision Repair in Derby, Kansas. "I felt like this was a fantastic opportunity."

A growing list of Acoat selected shops in the U.S. and Canada participate in the Akzo Benevolence Program by repairing a vehicle to give to a family in need each December. The shops generally work with a charitable organization in their community to select a family in need of reliable transportation.