The Wildwood Reserve Barbershop opened its doors on Broad Street in Murfreesboro in November 2022, welcoming people from all walks of life to come in, get a haircut, and make a personal connection. Now the barbershop is getting involved in the community in another big way.
Last June, Wildwood Reserve owner and barber Walter Holt was attending his son’s little league baseball game when one of his son’s teammates, 16-year-old Tyler Olsen, collapsed at the plate. The youth’s heart had stopped.
Tyler’s parents, Brian and Jaime Olsen, rushed down to save their son. As Jaime performed CPR, another parent retrieved the park’s automated external defibrillator, also known as an AED. The device revived Tyler and after a trip to the hospital, he made a full recovery.
The Olsens said that in a similar situation, but one without an AED available, a child’s chance of survival would be maybe 10 percent.
When Holt heard that Tyler’s parents were starting a nonprofit to make AEDs more available, he knew he had to get involved. With children of his own and a strong sense of community, Holt wanted to do his part to help Murfreesboro.
A Fighting Chance, the nonprofit organization started by Brian and Jaime Olsen, seeks to get AED units installed at locations all over Murfreesboro: schools, parks, and anywhere else they may be needed.
“Our goal as a shop and community member, is to raise enough money to buy 10 AEDs,” Holt says with a glint of determination in his eye.
A single AED unit can cost $2,000, so to meet the shop’s $20,000 goal, Holt has embraced several different outlets to help raise the money. The Wildwood Reserve has partnered with local car clubs, such as the Sleeper Car Club, in order to raise money at car show events in the barbershop’s parking lot. At The Wildwood Reserve shop, guests can donate by purchasing a ticket for the “pie your favorite barber” contest, where the barber with the most votes will receive a fresh pie to the face. For more information on these events and how to get involved, find The Wildwood Reserve Barbershop on Facebook or stop in the shop at 1330 NW Broad St., Murfreesboro.
For Holt, The Wildwood Reserve is more than a place to get a haircut. It represents a place for family and friends to come and connect with each other and the community. Walter says he has always had a passion for people. Before opening The Wildwood Reserve, he worked in healthcare and was the barber for his family. Holt decided to give barber school a try, and he ended up loving it. The bond between a barber and their clients can be something special.
Holt knew that he would eventually want to open his own shop.
“I had a vision to open a shop that no one had ever seen before,” he says. After searching for the right building, he came across an old car wash that was out of business. Seeing its potential, he bought the location and for six months worked on refurbishing the interior. Through dedication and love, The Wildwood Reserve was finally ready for business, decked out with the unique aesthetic Holt had envisioned.
