A Fundraiser for the American Red Cross
Heart of Tennessee Chapter
Tuesday, March 8, 2022
7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. CST
Middle Tennessee State Student Union
1768 MTSU Blvd.
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
Reserve Your Spot
Join us as we honor local Hero Bart Walker. Walker has owned and operated the WGNS radio station since 1984. WGNS is a staple in the community, covering local news, high school and college sports, local government meetings, plus talk shows with leaders like the mayor and police chief. During natural disasters (tornadoes, floods, ice storms, etc.) along with other emergencies, WGNS stops regular programming and devotes 100 per cent of its on-air time to informing the public. This has earned the station the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency's "Station of the Year Award" several times, along with honors from the National Association of Broadcasters and recognition by the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters.
Walker strongly believes that a radio station, its management and personnel must be heavily involved in the local community. This is evidenced in Walker having been Chairman of the Board for Rutherford County CrimeStoppers, the Heart of Tennessee Red Cross Chapter, Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, President of the Murfreesboro Rotary Club, and Elder with Murfreesboro's First Presbyterian Church. He has also served on the boards of the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce as VP of Tourism, St. Clair Street Senior Center, Leadership Rutherford, and Committee On Ministry with the Presbytery of Middle Tennessee.
Walker has been honored with the highest award given by the Tennessee Association of Broadcasters, its Distinguished Service Award (2002), and Leadership Rutherford's Pinnacle Award (2011). The family business also received the 2004 Better Business Bureau's "TORCH AWARD" honoring the highest standards of ethics and conduct. On May 14, 2016, Walker was inducted into the TENNESSEE RADIO HALL OF FAME. The Murfreesboro, Tennessee Chapter of the NAACP honored Bart on January 14, 2017, by presenting him the JERRY ANDERSON HUMANITARIAN AWARD at the Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Breakfast that was held at Middle Tennessee State University.
