SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Each year Progressive Insurance gives away dozens of cars to veterans across the country. The Keys to Progress Program started in 2013 and since then has gifted more than one thousand cars, with four of those cars in South Dakota.
This year’s recipient, Randy Miller, served 10 years in the United States Marine Corps and then another 10 years in the South Dakota National Guard. After that, he worked for South Dakota’s Department of Corrections.
“I’ve been in law enforcement or corrections or in the military all my life, it’s just the way I am,” Miller said.
This is Progressive’s 12th annual Keys to Progress Veteran Giveaway.
“I was surprised that I won. there’s a lot of other people that are more in need than I am, but I’m blessed that I’ve got it,” Miller said.
Miller now lives in Sioux Falls and says he applied for the giveaway because he didn’t have a car.
“Either through Uber or the bus system or I walked,” Miller said.
Bearon Dixon with Progressive in Sioux Falls says the giveaway is one way to help people like Miller get where they need to go.
“Whether it’s to get to doctors appointments, whether it’s to get to work or whether it’s for them to find work. It’s just an opportunity for us to give back,” Dixon said.
It’s also one of Dixon’s personal highlights of the year.
“This to me is one of the coolest things we do as a company. That’s why I’m here volunteering for it every year,” Dixon said.
The insurance company also partners with Enterprise Rent-A-Car which supplies the vehicle.
“Enterprise’s rich military background dating back to our founder. Jack Taylor was a U.S. Navy pilot on the USS Enterprise, that’s where we got our name. Enterprise, what we do locally is we’ll recruit and hire veterans,” Enterprise area manager, Jack Le said.
Miller’s last deployment was overseas in 1979.
“We rescued a lot of the Vietnamese boat people from the ocean in the area of the South China Sea,” Miller said.
Back home in South Dakota, Miller worked for the Department of Corrections for nearly a decade alongside Ron Johnson who was killed during an attempted prison escape in 2011.
“We lost an officer, Ronald Johnson. That’s when I was on medical leave. But I worked with Ron a lot as a lot of the veterans there that did,” Miller said.
Miller says throughout the decades, his motivation stayed the same, to help others.
“I’m helping people and we got to take care of the less fortunate people in our nation,” Miller said.
He’s thankful to get some help of his own and says he’s looking forward to his new ride.
“I’m really blessed to have that happen,” Miller said. “Looking at the vehicle it’s like wow.”
Enterprise is also covering the first six months of insurance.
