On a Friday night in Middle Tennessee, the concession stand line tells its own story. Parents grab popcorn, kids count out quarters, and somewhere in the cooler sits a cold bottle of water with a familiar logo. That bottle is doing more than quenching thirst. It is helping pay for the next season.
Through its water program, the Russell Barnett Automotive Family donates RB-branded bottled water to concession stands at local youth sporting events. Teams sell the water, and every dollar stays with them. That money can go toward new uniforms, equipment, travel costs, or whatever a team needs most. For booster clubs and volunteer parents who work hard to stretch every dollar, it is a simple gift that keeps giving all season long.
The idea fits a family that has always put people first. The Barnett family has served Middle Tennessee since 1939, when Albert Barnett opened a Dodge and Plymouth dealership in Waynesboro at just 25 years old. His son, Russell, came to this area in 1981 and went on to build five dealerships in Tullahoma and Winchester. Today, Russell’s sons, Alex and Adam, and his nephew, Keith, carry the business forward as the third generation of Barnett car dealers with Ford and Kia of Tullahoma, and Ford and Chevrolet of Winchester.
Youth sports have long been close to the family’s heart. Russell and his wife, Deby, have spent more than 35 years coaching in one form or another, from Little League to basketball to football. Keith still remembers his uncle coaching him in church league basketball decades ago.
The Barnetts love showing up at games, and the water program is another way to do so, even when they cannot be in the stands. Every bottle sold is a small vote of confidence in the young athletes who will one day lead this community. For the Barnett family, that is a goal worth chasing, one cold drink at a time.
Contact Russell Barnett Automotive Family
(931) 967-2277
This story is sponsored content.
