Local veterans given new car thanks to annual Military giveaway by Progressive

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — In honor of Veterans Day this week, two veterans in Colorado, including a local veteran from Fountain, were honored for their service and given the keys to a new car on Thursday, Nov. 14 as part of Progressive's 12th Annual Keys to Progress® vehicle giveaway.

On Thursday morning, U.S. Army Veteran Amelia Haithcock from Fountain and U.S. Army and Air Force Reserve Veteran Amanda Fitzgerald from Fort Lupton were both given a new set of keys thanks to the partnership with Progressive and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

The ceremony was held at 11 a.m. on Thursday at the Progressive Insurance Claims Office off Voyager Parkway and included speakers from Progressive and Enterprise.

According to Progressive, Haithcock was stationed at Fort Bliss in Texas from 2020 to 2022 and plans to use her new car to go on a trip with her family. As for Fitzgerald, who was stationed at March Air Reserve Base in California from March 2009 to July 2015, she was planning to use her new car to take her family bowling.

"I've never had a car," said Fitzgerald. "I've always rented cars... this is now my car... I have something that's mine and nobody can take it away."

During the ceremony, it was announced that Fitzgerald developed a passion for serving her community at an early age, volunteering when she was a teen at the Red Cross. Meantime, Haithcock said she learned discipline and leadership skills also at an early age and was involved in JROTC in high school.

Since the giveaway's inception in 2013, Progressive has donated more than 1,100 vehicles to veterans and veteran organizations. As part of the annual giveaway this year, 100 veterans and military-related organizations across the country will receive the keys to a new car.