Bridgestone Retail Operations, an affiliate of Bridgestone Americas, handed over the 100th passenger van as part of its Driving Great Futures initiative alongside Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) on October 27 in Austin, Texas. Based on a company announcement, this vehicle forms part of a shipment of 10 automobiles destined for clubs across eight U.S. states, pushing the total number of donated vans beyond the 100 mark since 2015.
The donation coincides with the 100th anniversary of Firestone Complete Auto Care, the company’s chain of service centers. The vans will carry children and teens to and from their clubs and to field trips, college tours and other enrichment activities. Bridgestone will also maintain the vehicles at its stores.
The 2026 recipients
- Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area — Austin, Texas (the 100th van)
- Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows — Reno, Nevada
- Boys & Girls Club of Lynn — Lynn, Massachusetts
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County — Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Topeka — Topeka, Kansas
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove — Garden Grove, California
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin — Santa Rosa, California
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Texas — Greenville, Texas
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Washington County — West Bend, Wisconsin
- Boys & Girls Clubs of Albany — Albany, Georgia
A ten-year initiative
Bridgestone launched Driving Great Futures with BGCA back in 2015. Donations gathered across corporate retail locations finance the initiative, which has previously supplied computers and mobile hotspots for virtual learning and on-site activities, extending far beyond mere transportation. An application process determines which clubs receive the vans. Since the partnership began, the corporation has donated upwards of $30 million to the charity, an amount likewise confirmed by BGCA.
Marko Ibrahim, president of Bridgestone Retail Operations, credited employees and customers for the milestone and said transportation is what allows many young people to reach the clubs’ resources.
Jim Clark, president and CEO of BGCA, said reliable transportation connects young people with mentors and safe places. According to the organization, 97% of club kids and teens expect to graduate from high school.
BGCA says its nearly 5,500 clubs serve more than 4 million young people across the United States and at U.S. military installations abroad.
