Testimonials About Giving

ROUNTREES LEND THEIR PHILOSOPHY ABOUT PHILANTHROPY

Mary Jane and Robert Rountree flank BMH President/CEO Barry Beeman
as they celebrate their generous gift toward the hospital building fund.

The hospital is a recipient of a wonderful gift toward our building fund – that of Robert and Mary Jane Rountree. The Rountrees gave their generous gift of $150,000 on the 10th anniversary of their automobile dealership in town. This timeframe happened to coincide with their 35th wedding anniversary, an event they also wanted to mark in a meaningful way. In a recent conversation, they explained to us their thinking on this matter – their reasons for giving – giving in general, and giving to the hospital specifically.

The Rountrees both came from upper New York State – the Finger Lakes region – and report that the towns where they grew up make Brattleboro look like a metropolis. They were excited to start their business here in such a booming town, and looked for ways to integrate with the community – to do their part to help it thrive.

As you’ll read later in this story, they found ways to do it, for sure. But why?

Bob Rountree reports that his penchant for owning his own business and supporting local causes came from his father who, as a self-employed local grocery store owner, volunteer fireman, church-goer, and member of Lions – all in his hometown of Lima, New York – instilled in Bob his values and his sense of community. Bob remembers his parents, as owners of a business, always told him, “They know what you do right, sometimes…they know what you do wrong right now!” He also remembers that even as a four-year-old child he had the dream of going into business for himself like his father and that he wanted to become a car dealer.

Before he actually got to his dream, however, Bob worked for Citicorp and, as such, traveled a fair amount throughout the eastern United States. Following that, he headed Subaru of New England. One thing apparently led to another, and he and Mary Jane found that Brattleboro Ford was available to purchase. Bob and Mary Jane report they literally had to sell everything they owned, including their home (in Duxbury, MA), and even their children’s cars, in order to make the purchase price of the automobile dealership.

Soon after starting their local business venture, they realized they were receiving requests, often several a day, for contributions to all the many wonderful causes that can exist in as vibrant a town as the one in which we live – Brattleboro, Vermont.

Most likely, when they started their own business, they weren’t thinking of his father’s input, but it came naturally anyway once they purchased the business, integrated into the community, and started encountering daily visits from various local agencies (all excellent causes, according to both Bob and Mary Jane). It didn’t take Bob and Mary Jane, being savvy business owners, very long to realize that in no way could they possibly support all the groups asking them to contribute to their respective fundraising.

Hence, they sat down and discussed which groups they could feel best about supporting. Their answers were: the United Way, Youth Services, and Brattleboro Memorial Hospital. The decision helped them focus on helping a few entities well, and also allowed them to tell other agencies and organizations how they were handling their giving. In addition, it gave them the opportunity to suggest that if they needed help perhaps they might consider applying to the United Way. They have long felt the United Way makes a lot of sense in helping smaller nonprofits. About Youth Services, they say that having two children of their own, and six grandchildren, they know how important our youth are to our future, and they have been quite pleasantly surprised at how much Youth Services is able to help so many aspects of that important segment of our population.

Bob was quick to say that listing the hospital last was not intentional, unless perhaps he was saving the best for last. He cited that he and Mary Jane wanted to “give a gift that would help bring health and happiness to our friends well into the future.” Of course, this is exactly what they have done. Their concern is not only for the community at large, but also for their friends – among whom they include family, their customers, and their all-important staff (whom they included in making the decision about on which groups to focus their contributions). The Rountrees regularly match donations made by their staff to United Way.

Bob and Mary Jane are so joyful about giving to others that they are perpetuating these values in yet another way: by giving every year to Toys for Tots. They have loved shopping with 40 carts full of the toys they gather and then leave on display in pick-up trucks on the showroom floor of each of their dealerships.

In looking back at the photo taken of the Rountrees when they originally presented their gift, not only does their joy in giving to BMH show on their faces, but also obvious is the large American flag in front of which they are standing. This was pertinent because they chose Flag Day as the day to give their contribution to “honor the ‘freedoms as citizens of the United States of America’ that we enjoy.”

Recently, Bob has experienced some health concerns which have prompted him to look for a little less stress in his life. He says the only reason he has divested himself of the major part of Rountree Ford is to be able to enjoy a semi-retirement. Bob quotes Mickey Mantle when he says, “If I knew I’d live this long, I’d have taken better care of myself!”

So, as they head for a little slower paced life in Florida, Brattleboro and BMH will truly miss these special people with large and generous hearts who so appreciate their American dream. We wish them the wonderful future years they so richly deserve, and thank them heartily for the many astounding contributions they have made to us and our community. It is their and our hope that this story might make others think seriously about how good it feels to give. Witness these happy people!

Another BMH supporter tells her story……CLICK HERE