Chrome and Charity at Walmart® Car Show
Greg Ritchie
Messenger Reporter
EAST TEXAS – It wasn’t the typical hum of grocery carts that filled the Crockett Walmart® parking lot Saturday — it was the throaty roar of custom engines, the crackle of polished exhaust pipes, and the excited chatter of car lovers swapping stories under the hot Houston County sun.
Crockett’s Walmart® hosted its first annual car and motorcycle show over the weekend, drawing dozens of vintage hot rods, sleek modern muscle cars, classic motorcycles, and curious onlookers for an event that was as much about horsepower as it was heart. The show capped off the store’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals campaign, a month-long nationwide fundraiser across all Walmart® locations.
“We wanted to go out with a bang,” said Stuart Wells, People Lead at the Crockett Walmart®. “This was our first time doing something like this, and it’s been amazing to see the response — both from the car community and our customers. And it’s all to support our local children’s hospital in Tyler.”
Dozens of brightly colored vehicles sparkled under the midday sun as more than one proud owner took the chance to rev their engines, sending up a roar that echoed across the parking lot and drew cheers from the crowd. Families strolled through rows of shining hoods, taking photos and sharing stories of their own garage dreams.
Amid the festivities was Justin Brown, founder of Dirt Road Redemption, a clothing brand based in College Station. Brown, whose mother works at the Crockett store, helped organize the event and donated merchandise for the cause.
“This was my mom’s hometown — when she called and said Walmart® was trying to put together something, I said, ‘Say no more,’” Brown said. “I didn’t even know what it was for at first, but when I heard it was for the kids, I was all in. Dirt Road Redemption is about the journey, about slowing down with family. This just felt right.”
Brown’s passion for giving back was matched by the local response. In just a few weeks of planning, organizers rallied a healthy turnout for a first-time event, and there’s already talk of making the car show an annual tradition.
“This is a small town,” Brown said, “but this wasn’t a small turnout. And next year? Bigger. Better. We’ll start earlier, bring in more cars, and keep this thing growing.”
Precinct Five Councilman Mike Marsh brought a bike, spending time at the festival and grateful for the turnout, in spite of the little time the event had to promote itself.
Beyond the chrome and custom paint, the car show represented a deeper community commitment. Through customer donations, associate contributions, food drives, and events like this, Crockett’s Walmart® has donated more than $42,000 back to the local community this fiscal year alone, according to Wells. Much of that includes support for Houston County Share, hunger relief programs, and now, the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
“One of our biggest goals going forward,” Wells said, “is making sure people know just how much Walmart® gives back — not just as a company, but right here at the local level.”
Although this reporter might be happy some of those hot rods don’t live and “rev up” on my particular street, the excitement and enthusiasm was contagious, and the group’s commitment and real-world results for our local hospitals was enough to make any heart vroom loudly.
Greg Ritchie can be reached at [email protected]
