APRO Board Member, David Harrison, and wife, Sheila, regular patrons of an Abuelo’s Mexican Restaurant, told the manager they needed to speak with their waitress after their meal. Afraid of being in trouble, Maria Elena Barragan, immediately felt scared as she walked back to their table, however, was given a gift bag rather than a reprimand. Inside the bag, Barragan found a title in her name to a 2019 Buick Encore.
While their friendship has grown since 2006, Barragan immediately said the gift was too much and that she couldn’t accept it. Harrison told her that God led him to give her the car. Raising her children on her own, Barragan reminded Harrison of his mom. Harrison’s mom was hardworking and lived a life filled with strong Christian faith, all while taking care of him and his siblings.
The story garnered a lot of local media attention from online news websites such as arkansasonline.com and even the well-known radio show, The Bobby Bones Show. However, this was not the first time the couple has given away a car to a hardworking single mom. When Harrison was 23-years-old, his mother asked him if he could take her car to replace the tires. While driving to the shop, Harrison realized how old and unsafe the car was and then discussed the poor condition of it to his wife. His wife encouraged him to buy his mom a new vehicle, and that same day, Harrison surprised his mom and dropped off her brand new car.
That first experience, and how he felt, never left Harrison. RNR Tire Express [RNR], the nation’s fastest-growing tire and custom wheel franchise, annually gives away cars to mothers on Mother’s Day. Harrison is a partner in Rental Concepts, an RNR Franchise Group with stores in Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Texas. As part of their philanthropic mission, RNR asks communities to nominate a ‘superhero mom’ to be surprised with a free car. This past year, three moms drove home with a Ford Fusion and two Buick Encores.
In case you missed it, click here to read APRO’s coverage on the RNR Mother’s Day Giveaway.
