Submarina shop donates $5,000 to Fisher House at Fort Campbell

Submarina shop donates $5,000 to Fisher House at Fort Campbell

The Leaf Chronicle

By Philip Grey

09.20.12

CLARKSVILLE, TENN. — A local Submarina sandwich shop brightened the day for the families of wounded, ill and injured warriors by making a $5,000 donation to Fort Campbell’s Fisher House on Thursday afternoon.

Located at 3095 Fort Campbell Blvd., the newest area Submarina franchise raised the money by donating $1 each from the first 5,000 sandwiches and salads sold. Submarina President and CEO Bruce N. Rosenthal flew out from New York for the event.

Shortly after 2 p.m., franchise operator Jennifer Piper, together with Rosenthal, presented the “big check” to Fisher House volunteer retired Maj. Scott Hollingsworth, who gratefully accepted on behalf of Fort Campbell Fisher House manager Wendy Carlston.

Asked why the franchise chose Fisher House, Piper, who operates the franchise together with her son, said, “It is a franchise thing that the corporate office does with the opening of every new franchise. They were looking at some charities and I had actually seen a feature article about the Fisher House in The Leaf-Chronicle two years ago, and it stuck in my mind. So I emailed them the link and they said, ‘Absolutely; that’s what we’re going to do.’”

Carlston, who manages the home away from home for the families of military members undergoing treatment at Blanchfield Army Community Hospital, was ecstatic about the larger-than-usual donation. “The Fisher House is absolutely blessed by this community. The word gets out there – like Jennifer said, she read an article – and that’s how it happens. People hear about the Fisher House and what we do and they want to help out.”

Hollingsworth said that as a volunteer who regularly attends events to receive donations from generous businesses, clubs and community organizations, “It just amazes me. ... This is a very supportive community.” Hollingsworth added that he became a volunteer for Fisher House as a way of supporting the organization that supported his family. Fisher House gave them a place to stay when his retired Air Force father fell ill and was treated at the hospital at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio.

Following the presentation, when asked how she felt about receiving the donation, Carlston smiled wide and said simply, “It’s $5,000, wow!”