Some Grinch gave Kellie Tate a crushed bumper, a dangling reflector and a dented fender for Christmas.
The single mother of four who works two jobs to pay the bills arrived home from work one Sunday earlier this month to find someone had sideswiped her Hyundai Santa Fe and left no note.
Unable to pay the $1,000 deductible on her insurance, Tate had planned to hold off on the repairs for the hit-and-run job.
But she applied for and won free repairs from Rescue My Ride, a charity project of the four local 911-Caliber Collision Centers.
The 911-Caliber staff put in about 25 hours of work on the car and turned Tate's Christmas around by picking up the $1,500 bill.
Tate said she feels like "a big weight has been lifted."
"I just so greatly appreciate everything," she told regional manager Mike Mars when she picked up the car Thursday in Oro Valley.
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Keystone Automotive donated a new bumper, Dent Solutions fixed dings in the hood for free, and Mercado del Rio Car Wash pitched in with a detail job.
The 911-Caliber staff tries to help one family each month through Rescue My Ride. Go online to 911collision.com/rescue-my-ride.cfm to apply.
Contact reporter Becky Pallack at bpallack@azstarnet.com or 573-4346.
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