Pictured left to right are Brandon Wolfswinkel, Board member, Welcome Home Ranch; Tex Earnhardt; Johnny Haggard, Farm Manager, Welcome Home Ranch; Hal Earnhardt III; Carson Brown, Director, Welcome Home Ranch; and Derby Earnhardt.
On July 22, Earnhardt Auto Centers donated a 2010 Chrysler Town and Country minivan to Welcome Home Ranch, a long-term addiction recovery center in Gilbert, Arizona. The center is located on a 40 acre ranch at Val Vista and Hunt Highway, which includes over a 140 stall horse boarding facility, two arenas, feed store and farming operation. The ranch has hosted several small horse shows, 4H events, family and church parties and the Gilbert Days Rodeo.
Welcome Home Ranch currently has 23 students in its program who are learning the underlying issues of addiction and are developing a new life-style, complete with appropriate attitudes, behaviors and values. The students are being trained to develop a first class horse boarding facility, training operations of a feed store, working on a number of gardening projects and how to repair and fix items on the ranch. The ranch is self-sustaining and is funded by private donations from individuals and businesses who are dedicated to fighting addiction.
The ranch has an online learning program where students can take classes and earn college credits. Johnny Haggard is the farm manager and he has a long history with farming as well as vast experience in rodeo/roping events. Johnny is in charge of the life skills training for students on the ranch and continues to motivate the students and teach the students how to be effective along with learning good work ethics.
Earnhardt Auto Centers is one of the oldest and largest auto groups in the southwest. It was founded in 1951 by Tex Earnhardt. Tex’s sons, Hal and Jim Babe, joined him in the business and eventually so did his grandchildren, Dodge and Derby. Earnhardt Auto Centers has experienced phenomenal growth over the past 63 years. It now has 17 dealerships offering 15 different franchises located in Mesa, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Chandler, Goodyear, Avondale, Phoenix, Peoria and Prescott Valley. The auto group has nearly 2,000 employees. The Earnhardt family’s dedication to the wellbeing of their employees is legendary and they have also contributed to hundreds of charities and needy causes throughout the years.