The 2025 Subaru Love Promise Customer and Community Commitment Award
We are honored to be nationally recognized by Subaru of America, Inc. for our dedication to our customers, our community, and the Subaru Love Promise.
The 2025 Subaru Love Promise Customer and Community Commitment Award recognizes elite Subaru retailer who provide an exceptional customer experience at every interaction with Subaru. These retailers have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to supporting passions and causes in their local communities in important areas such as environment, community, health, education, and pets.
Here at Subaru, we love our community as much as we love our vehicles and are committed to making a positive impact on the lives of all of our customers and neighbors.
What is the Subaru Love Promise?
Subaru and our retailers believe in making the world a better place and the Subaru Love Promise is our vision of respecting all people. This is our commitment to show love and respect to our customers and to work to make a positive impact in the world.
How is Bob Wade Subaru dedicated locally to the Love Promise?
Our Love Promise can be seen in various partnerships with local charities and non-profits. We're grateful for the opportunity, not only to be a part of our community, but to serve it as well.
Anicira Veterinary Center
Shenandoah National Park
Friendship Industries
Timberville/Broadway Ruritan
Blue Ridge Food Bank, Relay for Life
Love Promise Stories from Bob Wade Subaru
Subaru and Bob Wade Subaru believe in making a positive impact on the communities in which we live and work. We uphold that belief through our Love Promise Community Commitment. Every month, we select inspiring stories from customers and partners from around our area who strive to support our collective commitment and feature them here
Big Heart - Benjamin C
Bob Wade Subaru has a big heart for the Rockingham Memorial Hospital (RMH) Foundation, and the patients who receive care at Sentara RMH Medical Center. This strong partnership began more than 12 years ago, starting with a gift to provide free mammograms to women in our community who could not afford this critical screening. Since then, Bob Wade Subaru has directed $165,975 in cumulative giving to benefit our community hospital, with the majority of that support stemming from the Subaru Share the Love Event. Since 2015, Bob Wade Subaru and its retailer staff team have chosen the RMH Foundation as their Hometown Charity for Share the Love. Over this 9-year period, $125,575 has been directed to elevate patient care and equip our providers with the most advanced equipment. These funds have largely benefitted the Heart & Vascular Center at Sentara RMH Medical Center, supporting innovations such as a new cardiac catheterization lab and a Hybrid Operating Room for minimally invasive procedures like trans-catheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). This investment in advanced technology recently made the difference for John Doughty, a 59-year-old father, preacher, and Realtor from Bridgewater. Just after Christmas last year, John collapsed from a massive heart attack while playing basketball at the Sentara RMH Wellness Center. Thanks to a fast-acting coach who began CPR and the immediate transfer to Sentara RMH, John arrived at our Heart & Vascular Center where our skilled cardiology team placed lifesaving stents. Today, John is back on his feet and back to coaching the JMU wrestling team he loves. “I had an unbroken chain of good Samaritans, and they’re the reason I’m here,” John said. “I just want to live every day and do my best to make it count.” In 2024 alone, the Sentara RMH Heart & Vascular Center cared for thousands of patients through procedures like stent placements, ablations, TAVRs, and open-heart surgeries. Each number represents a life — a neighbor, a friend, a loved one — made possible through the dedication of our providers and the community support that equips them with the tools they need. Subaru’s Share the Love Event plays a direct role in making this level of care possible right here at home. Beyond the enthusiastic and substantial support generated from car sales during the Subaru Share the Love Event, Bob Wade Subaru continues to give back throughout the year. Most recently, the dealership once again teamed up with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Subaru Loves to Care initiative to deliver boxes filled with blankets, pillows, and activities books for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at the Hahn Cancer Center. “This is very important to our patients,” shared Anita Smootz, oncology manager at Sentara RMH. “It shows the patients the community support given to them as they are going through a difficult time.” The passion, compassion, and generosity at Bob Wade Subaru starts at the top with John Wade and extends through his entire retail team. Bob Wade Subaru is more than just a dealership — they are a true community partner and champion. For Bob Wade Subaru, it has never been about recognition… it’s about doing the right thing. Thanks to their loyal and generous support, countless lives have been saved and transformed.
Students - April S
Sometimes, it isn't about the big things. Instead, sometimes, it is simply the small things that create overwhelm for our students in need. Perhaps the journey to America was harder than expected. Sometimes the area that our students are fleeing from no longer exists as they knew it. Sometimes work is hard to find. Sometimes everything seems like it is going perfectly, and then someone gets sick...unexpectedly. But, for the family that I share with you, it was a big thing. A new baby...4 older children and only one working parent....dad. Then, a mandatory check in to confirm the temporary Visa requirements were met to work in the area's poultry industry. Suddenly, an unexpected holding and deportation with a penalty waiting period of 6 months before return to the United States. Suddenly, a mother is left with no income...which means no money to provide for her children. We, at Cub Run Elementary School, may not have been able to solve every problem that this family faced, but, through the SubaruLovesLearning Grant, we were able to supply all the school supplies needed to learn successfully. The amount of school supplies and materials donated to our school also allowed us to repurpose other monetary donations to meet the needs of diapers and formula, as well as food, for this family in need. Not only do the supplies from Subaru give kids an equitable learning experience, but more importantly, it gives them hope. It lets them know that they are loved and cared for. It lets them know that someone wants them to succeed and that, with the right help and the right start, they can shine! Unless you are "boots on the ground" in our schools, you may not be aware of how many students do not come with the necessary supplies for school. You don't see the kids borrowing pencils, erasers, and paper because they actually do not have access to funds to purchase supplies. But, as teachers, we do see this happen...a lot. Your thoughtful contributions even the playing field for our low income students and allow opportunities that would not otherwise exist for them. For that, we simply cannot thank you enough. We are so thankful to be the recipient of the SubaruLovesLearning Grant and cannot express the depth of our gratitude. We look forward to a positive continual partnership with the deepest goal of success for all our students.
Giving Back - Sabrina H
Dear Subaru, Thank you all so much for your generous contribution of winter coats this year. Because of your donation, our families are able to provide their children with brand new coats for the upcoming colder seasons. Our families do not have much when they arrive on our doorstep, so being able to provide the kids (and adults!) with heavier jackets is a huge help. This donation also allows our families to save more money while they’re in shelter, which directly goes to rehousing them. Our goal at Mercy House is to not only provide families with safe and stable shelter, but to provide a sense of normalcy for the kids. Moving into a homeless shelter is often a scary experience for these kids, so being able to surprise them with new clothing has a huge impact on their morale. Thanks for all you do, Mercy House St
Bob Wade Subaru Teams Up to Support Local Community - Nate R
Imagine going without a coat, shoes, or even socks. For millions of children and adults experiencing homelessness and other urgent need situations across the country, even here in Harrisonburg, this is a harsh reality. Helping others strengthens communities, which is why Bob Wade Subaru is partnering with Operation Warm®, a national nonprofit focused on connecting children with the resources they need to thrive. Through this partnership and other Subaru Loves to Help® efforts, Subaru and retailers like Bob Wade Subaru have helped nearly 900,000 children and adults in urgent need. On 02/02/2025, Bob Wade Subaru donated 120 coats to Mercy House - Harrisonburg, VA. These essential items not only help keep children protected, warm, and dry, it can have a significant impact on a child's mental and emotional well-being.
Warmth for the Valley - Sabrina H
Subaru providing coats for our families allows clients to not only have brand new winter jackets, but provides them with an opportunity to maximize their income to the fullest. Children usually need new jackets every year, so this donation enables our clients to worry less about spending money out of their own pocket and focus more on saving money and finding safe housing for their families.
Family in Need - April S
I received the e-mail on Friday morning. A family with four children had just moved into our school district due to a relocation and refugee center moving them out of wartorn areas as quickly as possible. They would be starting school on Monday morning. The family came with only the clothes they were wearing and very little else aside from small mementos. When families are fleeing war, not only do the children come to us without supplies, but they bring with them the trauma and stress that comes with complete loss of all they know. This family had the added stress of coming to us speaking only French, a language that most teachers rarely hear, much less speak fluently enough to communicate well. At my planning time, I knew that, while I couldn't fix the language barrier or heal the trauma that these little ones had encountered on their journeys, I could have backpacks packed with everything they would need to have success in the classroom, thanks to the generosity of Subaru. I packed backpacks full of pencils, erasers, headphones for use with school computers, crayons, colored pencils and a myriad of other items. The backpacks were then delivered to the classroom teachers so that students could receive them as they walked through the door. A backpack full of school supplies may not make everything better, but, to these students, it was like a warm embrace into a community of care from an organization that cares so much for our students, Bob Wade Subaru. The wealth of school supplies and the ability for all our students to enter school with an "even playing field" of materials is priceless. ALL students have access to what they need to learn and grow. The example set by a positive and uplifting community partnership is powerful in depicting clearly what quality leadership and caring are all about. Our students know that they can ask for more when they run out of glue or pencils, etc. without shame because we have been wrapped in the blessing of a bevy of materials that are readily available to teachers and students to make their education as successful as possible. The most wonderful part of the partnership with Bob Wade Subaru is that it is something that we can depend on to be just what we need for our students. The supplies are thoughtfully chosen to meet the needs of our students, conscientiously packed in boxes that can be reused in the classrooms, and delivered with kindness, care, and joy. Thank you, Subaru, for supporting our learners and helping us to prepare them to be the community leaders and philanthropists of which you are a prime example!
Pet Adoption - Madison S
The Rockingham-Harrisonburg SPCA is thrilled to share the success of our 9th annual Subaru Loves Pets adoption event, held in partnership with Bob Wade Subaru in Harrisonburg. The event was a fantastic achievement, not only for pet adoptions but also for bringing together the community. We were incredibly fortunate to have the support of the entire Bob Wade Subaru team, who went above and beyond to accommodate the needs of the RHSPCA throughout the planning and execution of this large-scale event.With over 30 animals onsite, everyone involved was sure to see to the safety and success of the event. The presence of local media groups such as Q101 radio group and WHSV news channel ensured the success of the event. We are delighted to report that 12 animals found their forever homes during the event. Of these adoptions, eight were cats and kittens, while the remaining four were dogs. We are especially thrilled that three of the adopted pets had collectively been in our care for over 1,000 days, making these placements particularly heartwarming victories. Below are photos of a few of the adoptions. The event’s success is a testament to the power of community collaboration. We couldn't have achieved these results without the dedication and support of the Bob Wade Subaru staff and our volunteers. Thank you, Subaru, for continuing to support such a meaningful cause. We look forward to partnering again for next year's Subaru Loves Pets adoption event!
Our Foundation - Benjamin C
Bob Wade Subaru has a big heart for the Rockingham Memorial Hospital (RMH) Foundation, and the patients provided care from providers at Sentara RMH Medical Center. This strong partnership began over 11 years ago, starting with a $200 gift for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer – specifically to provide free mammograms to women in our community who were unable to pay for this critical screening. To date, Bob Wade Subaru has provided cumulative giving over $118,600 to benefit our community hospital. The majority of this financial support stems from the Subaru Share the Love event. Since 2015, Bob Wade Subaru and its retailer staff team has chosen the RMH Foundation to be its Hometown Charity associated with this event. Over this 8-year period, more than $91,000 has been directed to elevate patient care and equip our providers with the most advanced equipment. These funds have largely benefitted the Heart & Vascular Center at Sentara RMH Medical Center, specifically helping to fund a brand-new cardiac catheterization lab where physicians conduct a variety of path-breaking cardiac and vascular procedures which reduces the length of procedures and lowers radiation exposure for patients. Additionally, these donations have helped build a Hybrid Operating Room to aid in trans-catheter aortic valve replacements which offers a minimally-invasive technique to patients. Both of these technological advancements have profound benefits for health patients – they are safer, more targeted, and offer significantly shorter recovery times. The support from the Subaru Share the Love Event greatly improves the way our talented medical staff cares for patients and their safety. These donations will continue to help save the lives of heart patients in our community… something that John Wade, owner of Bob Wade Subaru, can appreciate after losing his father – and the namesake of the dealership – to a heart condition. For heart patient Brock Field, he knows first-hand how important advanced technology and qualified providers are to patient outcomes. Brock experienced one o the most serious and life-threatening heart attacks last Labor Day weekend. At the time, he was 70 years young, a healthy eater, and led an active life – swimming, tennis, golf. It was quite a shock to him when he found himself in the ambulance for the first time in his life. When Brock arrived to the Emergency Rooms doors, the nurses and doctors – including Dr. Matthew Cauchi, were waiting for him. Brock remembers Dr. Cauchi putting his hand on Brock’s shoulder and said, “we’re here to take care of you.” Thanks to the full range of heart services at the Sentara RMH Heart & Vascular Center, Brock was able to have surgery close to home, and had the best chance of getting back to his active life – which is exactly what Brock is doing today. Beyond the enthusiastic and substantial support generated from car sales during the Subaru Share the Love event, Bob Wade Subaru provides contributions of both cash and in-kind gifts throughout the year. Earlier this summer, Bob Wade Subaru teamed-up again with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Subaru Loves to Care initiative to deliver boxes filled with blankets, pillows and activities books for cancer patients receiving chemotherapy at the Hahn Cancer Center at Sentara RMH Medical Center. “This is very important to our patients,” says Anita Smootz, Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center radiation oncology manager. “It shows the patients the community support given to them as they are going through a difficult time. It means a lot to them to know that somebody cares.” It would be difficult to quantify how many patients and their families have been impacted by the support received from Bob Wade Subaru… but it is completely fair to say that countless lives have been saved and positively impacted by their loyal and generous support. In 2023, the Sentara RMH Heart & Vascular Center electrophysiology team – the branch of cardiology focused on the diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders (e.g., arrythmias) – provided care for a total of 815 patients, which included 266 permanent pacemakers and 348 ablations. The heart catheterization team in 2023 diagnosed 1,222 patients and treated 352 of these patients with a coronary angioplasty or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Additionally, the structural heart team cared for 116 patients in 2023, providing procedures such as transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), MitraClip, and Watchman implants. There were 179 cardiothoracic surgeries (CTS) performed in 2023. The passion, compassion, and generosity at Bob Wade Subaru starts at the top with John Wade and is shared by his entire retail team and staff. Bob Wade Subaru is more than just a local dealership, but they are a true community partner and champion.
Donates to Caner Patients - Cory D
Bob Wade Subaru donated blankets and pillows to Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center patients on Monday. This type of donation provides comfort for Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center patients who are undergoing treatment, according to a news release by Sentara RMH. Representatives from Bob Wade Subaru in Harrisonburg dropped off 8 boxes filled with plush blankets that convert into comfortable heart-shaped pillows. It’s part of the partnership between the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and the Subaru Loves to Care initiative, according to the news release. “We donate blankets and that gives them a little bit of comfort when they are doing their recovery so they can stay warmer,” says Kevin Knott, Bob Wade Subaru sales manager in the news release. “I know, just doing some research, they tend to get cold after the treatment, so this is something we can do to give back a little.” Knott said in the news release, that it means the world to be able to support the community through these efforts. “There’s nothing like giving something to someone that’s in need, or maybe not in need, but needs a little cheering up,” said Knott in the news release. “We enjoy it, from the Bob Wade family and everyone who works there, it means little something to everybody.” Cancer radiation treatments typically take about 15 minutes to complete, according to Sentara RMH. “Chemotherapy sessions, however, are much longer.” These sessions can last from one hour to several hours and the blankets and pillows are a great resource to ease some of the patients’ discomfort, according to the news release. “They think this is a very sterile environment and this brings them a little bit of comfort,” says Kelly Kruis, Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center manager in the news release. “So, they get to warm themselves up with the blankets and be a little more comfortable with the pillows.” Kruis says donations like this are appreciated by the patients. “It helps them know that the community is out there to support them, and it gives them a little bit of creature comfort for while they’re here,” states the news release. This is the 9th year that Subaru of America has partnered with LLS through the Loves To Care program, according to the news release. By the end of 2024, retailers across the country will have supported nearly 350,000 cancer patients through this initiative.
Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Blanket Delivery - Kim C
On Monday, June 10th, 2024, Bob Wade Subaru in Harrisonburg had the opportunity to deliver 80 blankets to Sentara RMH Hahn Cancer Center as part of the Subaru Loves to Care program. The blankets were accompanied by personalized messages of hope written by customers in the community and staff of Bob Wade Subaru. These gifts were warmly received by the staff and patients, with staff showing their excitement as they know how much these gifts of love and support are appreciated. It was a wonderful day and heartfelt thanks to Bob Wade Subaru for joining the LLS mission to create a world without blood cancer.
