Hankook Tire America Corp. continued its successful partnership with DAV (Disabled American Veterans) in 2018 by expanding its support of the DAV Mobile Service Office (MSO) program and helping even more veterans in communities across the country. The MSO program provides free services to veterans and their families.

“Providing free assistance and services to America’s heroes is so important to us at Hankook Tire, and as we conclude the fourth year of our growing partnership with DAV, Hankook is proud of how we’ve been able to have an even greater impact this year,” said Hankook Tire America Corp. President Hosung Suh. “We greatly appreciate the support from all of our local tire dealers for hosting events that make it easy for our local heroes and their loved ones to get the assistance they deserve.”

The purpose of the Hankook-DAV MSO program stops is to bring DAV’s claims specialists directly to veterans in their local communities. This reduces the distance that many veterans must travel to obtain their Veteran Affairs benefits and other services to live high-quality lives.

Hankook also partnered with tire dealerships to host the MSO stops between August and November. The 12 participating tire dealers include:

• Advance Performance Tires & Wheels, Tampa, Florida
• American Tire Distributors, Inc., Norfolk, Virginia
• Anthony’s Planet Pickup, San Antonio, Texas
• Black’s Tire & Auto Service, Fayetteville, North Carolina
• Brown’s Point S Tire & Auto, Portland, Oregon
• Centerville Tire Factory, Centerville, Utah
• CJ’s Tire & Automotive, Kind of Prussia, Pennsylvania
• Evans Tire & Service Centers, San Diego, California
• Gateway Tire & Service Center, Clarksville, Tennessee
• NTW, Marietta, Georgia
• Peerless Tires, Colorado Springs, Colorado
• S & S Tires & Auto Service Center, Goodyear, Arizona

Clarksville, Tennessee, resident and Army Veteran Becky Smith, who has been a lifetime member of DAV for 11 years, was one of the volunteers who came out to support the Hankook-DAV MSO stop at Gateway Tire.

“The feeling of helping a fellow veteran is incredible,” said Smith. She recalls after assisting a homeless veteran through the claims process. “We were able to help him go from being homeless and living on $100 a month to receiving close to $3,000 a month. These are benefits he earned and should receive. I was happy to help him.”

As part of Hankook’s commitment to helping the community through mobility, and to help DAV continue to safely deliver services to veterans of all generations where they live, Hankook also donated two sets of Hankook Dynapro AT-m tires to DAV, which were installed on two of their MSO vehicles.

“DAV is honored to have the growing support of Hankook Tire, whose commitment to helping serve America’s veterans and their families is inspiring,” said DAV National Adjutant and CEO Marc Burgess. “Over the past four years, the Hankook-DAV MSO program stops have helped more than 900 veterans and their families by providing access to the benefits and services earned in service. We are grateful to have two new sets of Hankook tires on our MSO vehicles, and look forward to continuing to help even more veterans live the high quality lives they deserve.”

Hankook Heroes

Further recognizing America’s veterans, the 2018 Hankook Heroes program highlighted why veterans are heroes. Thousands of participants submitted brief testimonials about the heroes in the veteran community. One winner received a set of Hankook tires, and a DAV chapter member in the winner’s hometown who is instrumental in helping support his or her local veteran community also received a set of tires.

This year’s program winner is Danita Crickmore of Indianapolis. Portray Woods, a valued member of DAV Chapter 52 in Indianapolis, and the ultimate example of a Hankook Hero, received a set of tires as well. When Woods served in the Army’s 1st Armored Division, a roadside bomb claimed his right arm and left thumb, paralyzed his right side, and caused a traumatic brain injury. The former collegiate basketball player fought tirelessly through an intensive rehabilitation program and is now able to talk and walk. He continues pushing himself beyond the limitations his multiple injuries had caused and is a past participant in DAV’s Winter Sports Clinic, the largest rehabilitative sporting event of its kind in the world.

Hankook Tire presented DAV with a $175,000 check recognizing Hankook’s fourth consecutive year of increased commitment to help veterans through mobility during the opening session of DAV’s 97th National Convention in July. As part of this year’s partnership, Hankook also funded a seven-passenger DAV Transportation Network vehicle for the Nashville Veteran Affairs Medical Center, which will begin serving Nashville veterans in 2019.

For more information on Hankook and DAV’s continued partnership, visit dav.org/hankook.