Dr. David Vanderpool Named June Hometown Hero

Pictured: Dr. Vanderpool and his son David working on-site in Ghana.
In honor of Father’s Day, Dr. David Vanderpool was selected as Darrell Waltrip Automotive’s Hometown Hero for the month of June.

Vanderpool was nominated by his son for his passion to improve the lives of others. “I have been profoundly influenced by my father and his selfless giving, and am grateful that others see him as the hero that I know him to be,” says son, David Stalling Vanderpool. From Ghana, Haiti, Honduras, and Mozambique to New Orleans, Alabama and Nashville, Vanderpool works to build the infrastructure to combat global poverty and devotes his time and talents toward worldwide disaster relief.

In 2005 he founded Mobile Medical Disaster Relief (MMDR), an international non-profit that works to serve the destitute in areas left impoverished by natural disasters and human oppression. The $500 donation from Darrell Waltrip Automotive will go toward MMDR’s next campaign, which aims to provide medical care and clean water projects in Ghana to leverage the release of children from slavery.

Darrell Waltrip Automotive’s Hometown Heroes is a monthly event honoring Middle Tennessee residents who have made a positive impact on their community. Nominate your hero at www.darrellwaltrip.com. If you are inspired by this story and would like to get involved in your community, please visit http://www.givingmatters.com/.

About MMDR
MMDR uses medicine, community development, and micro-enterprise to help fulfill the medical needs of vulnerable and under-served people in the United States and throughout the world. MMDR continues to aid Haiti’s post-earthquake recovery, taking monthly medical teams into the neediest areas, providing free medical care and partnering with communities for development. In the US, following the devastation of the Tuscaloosa, AL tornado, MMDR was quick to respond with medical supplies, food and water. MMDR has programs in 14 countries and is constantly expanding to encompass the growing effects of global poverty. For more information, please visit http://www.mmdr.org/.

Darrell Waltrip Automotive Honors Mary Beth Gates

Full-time mother & volunteer named May Hometown Hero

L to R: Darrell Waltrip, Mary Beth Gates (Volunteer Accountant, High Hopes & Hometown Hero of the month), John Gallagher (General Manager, DWA), Holly Beth Roach (Fund Development Coordinator, High Hopes), Sallie Vanhoose (Executive Assistant to ED, High Hopes)

On Tuesday May 17, Darrell Waltrip Automotive honored their second Hometown Hero, Mary Beth Gates of Nashville. In the spirit of Mother’s Day, she was recognized for her inspiring approach to community service as a full-time mother and volunteer.

After leaving HCA in 2006, Mary Beth became High Hopes’ Volunteer Accountant, volunteering approximately 552 hours annually. “Mary Beth goes above and beyond the day-to-day accounting duties necessary for High Hopes to function,” says Fund Development Coordinator, Holly Beth Roach. What began with a complete reorganization and restructuring of their financial system has now become a full-time position. Mary Beth consults with the Board of Directors, prepares and presents reports, pitches in at fundraisers, and is an advocate in the community for the organization.

Above all, Mary Beth spends her time away from volunteer work with her child. As a mother of a child with special needs, Mary Beth has a special connection with High Hopes. It’s no surprise that she chose the $500 donation by Darrell Waltrip Automotive to go toward High Hopes: an Inclusive Preschool and Pediatric Therapy Clinic with a mission to equip children and youth with the skills necessary to achieve success through education, rehabilitation, and loving support. To learn more, visit www.highhopesnash.org.

As a thank you for Mary Beth’s continued service, she received a relaxing weekend get-away complimentary of Aloft Hotel of Cool Springs.
Darrell Waltrip Automotive’s Hometown Heroes is a monthly event honoring Middle Tennessee residents who have made a positive impact on their community. Nominate your hero at www.darrellwaltrip.com. If you have been inspired by this story to get involved in your community, please visit www.givingmatters.com.

LifeFlight Lands at Darrell Waltrip Automotive

Here's the video Vanderbilt LifeFlight put together on Darrell Waltrip Automotive's Van Donation- it's fantastic!!



From Vanderbilt LifeFlight: Vanderbilt LifeFlight is proud to deliver equipment back to EMS agencies in an effort to assist them maintain proper levels of the life saving equipment and save money on lost equipment. Our equipment return program is made possible thanks the generous donation of a van by Darrell Waltrip Automotive Group in Franklin, Tenn. Watch as LifeFlight lands at Darrell Waltrip to celebrate their donation. Several emergency agencies from Lincoln, Williamson, and Davidson Counties were present for the ribbon cutting ceremony.

Darrell Waltrip Automotive Announces First Hometown Hero

(Left to Right: Eva Barker, Michael Barker, R.H. Barker, & Darrell Waltrip)
Franklin, Tenn. – April 13th marks the announcement of Hometown Hero, Robert Houston Barker of Franklin. In February, Darrell Waltrip Automotive kicked off their Hometown Heroes campaign to highlight everyday heroes in Middle Tennessee, and the first hero has been chosen!


Anne Frances describes her grandfather as a man of “great faith, honesty, family values and professional etiquette.” Barker has rightfully earned his hero status and his story deserves to be shared.


A fifth generation Williamson County resident, Barker recently celebrated his ninety-first birthday. A man of service throughout his lifetime, Barker served in WWII in the 5th Armored Division.


At the Elbe River, Barker’s battalion liberated nearly 1,000 prisoners of war on April 12, 1945. One of the POWs liberated, Bate Southall, later proved to be a childhood friend of Barker’s. They spent their youth together in Burwood and both now reside in Middle Tennessee.


Home from the war, Barker and his wife Eva Mae Davidson opened Western Auto on Main Street in 1948, serving Middle Tennessee residents for a total of 32 years. Ann Frances and her father Jerry reminisce about their Christmases spent in the Barker household and the joys shared opening Christmas presents after the shop closed for the holidays. “Every year - even after getting home late - at least one person would call who forgot their layaway and Daddy would go back to the store so they had their Christmas,” says Robert’s son, Jerry. The store provided many residents their first lines of credit, bicycles, baseball gloves and more.


Throughout his lifetime, Robert’s service in his community has stretched beyond taking care of his customers at Western Auto. Barker was a long-time member and former president of the Franklin Lions Club. This month Barker has chosen to give the $500 donation from Darrell Waltrip Automotive to the Franklin Lions Club, a service organization known for working to end preventable blindness. “The Franklin Lions Club acknowledges with great appreciation this donation that will help us continue to serve others,” says current President, Joy Chapman.

(Left to Right: Williamson County Trustee Joey Davis, Franklin Lions Club President Joy Chapman, Michael Barker, R.H. Barker, and Eva Barker)

Darrell Waltrip Automotive’s Hometown Heroes is a monthly event honoring Middle Tennessee residents who have made a positive impact on their community. Nominate your hero at www.darrellwaltrip.com. If you have been inspired by this story to get involved in your community, visit www.givingmatters.com to learn about other non-profits in your area and ways to support a cause dear to your heart.

DARRELL WALTRIP AUTOMOTIVE GOES GREEN: Dealership Becomes First Live Green Partner of Its Kind

Darrell Waltrip Automotive, inspired by the City of Franklin’s movement to encourage businesses to go green will be the city’s first Automotive Live Green Partner. Taking the lead as a Platinum member, they have made the commitment to implement a culture of sustainability within the workplace.

“Helping Franklin become more sustainable is a community-wide effort and we are thankful that Darrell Waltrip Automotive is taking the lead in their industry,” stated Andrew Orr, Sustainability Coordinator of the City of Franklin.

The decision to become a Live Green Partner came from their investment in the Middle Tennessee community. In the past ten years, Darrell Waltrip Automotive has invested half of a million dollars toward philanthropic outreach, supporting organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Mercy Children’s Clinic and the American Red Cross.

“The biggest mantra behind going green is this: reduce, reuse, recycle,” says Jamie Putnam, Volvo-Subaru Parts Manager, who has led the green initiative at the dealership. They reached the platinum level by reducing their energy use through the installation of Energy Star CFL lighting in all four showrooms, reusing the plastic seat covers for vehicles being serviced, and having their scrap tires picked up weekly to be reused in playgrounds. “In the future we will look at doing even more,” says Putnam.

From restaurants to retail stores, more than 100 businesses in Franklin have made the commitment to promote sustainable operations in the work place by becoming a Live Green Partner. To learn more about sustainable practices in Franklin visit www.franklin-gov.com/index.aspx?page=463.

Darrell Waltrip Automotive is a premier Honda, Volvo, & Subaru car dealership near Nashville in Franklin, Tennessee (TN). Specializing in Honda, Volvo, and Subaru Sales, Finance, Service, and Parts, Darrell Waltrip Automotive provides high quality service to its customers. Located at 1430 Murfreesboro Road in Franklin TN, Darrell Waltrip Automotive extends its services to nearby areas throughout Middle Tennessee. For more information, please visit our website, www.darrellwaltrip.com.