After announcing open nominations for their 7th annual Mother’s Day Giveaway in early April, the team at RNR Tire Express saw a record-setting 15,000 submissions pour in from across the country. Husbands, children, and partners shared impassioned, heartwarming messages of the sacrifices and tireless devotion displayed by some truly incredible mothers. And while all of those submitted were entirely deserving of this year’s grand prize, RNR identified and surprised this year’s recipient last Friday morning, just before Mother’s Day weekend.

Dennis Deppen submitted for this year’s giveaway on behalf of his wife, Shayla, an Air Force veteran and mother of 2. Below is just a small excerpt of what he had to say:

“She’s the type of person who was outside right after hurricane Ian helping neighbors pick up debris and sweep.  It was her idea for us to go back to my hometown of Englewood to hand out water, Gatorade, and snacks to seniors in a mobile community.  She’s the type of person that takes plastic bags with her on walks to pick up trash because she always tells me “This is where we live. . . I love that she cares so much about serving others, serving her country, and being an incredible mother and wife, always putting our needs before her own.”

Friends and family joined together with the RNR team to give Shayla the gift of a lifetime last Friday; a brand-new Jeep Renegade. A gift that, according to Shayla, left her “grateful, speechless, and shocked.” Even with emotions running high, her immediate sentiment was to thank all of the mothers around the world, right before getting into her new ride to go pick up the kids.