Column: A letter to Sam Walton with plea for local change

Dear readers,

If you’ve stepped outside recently, you’ve likely been greeted by what meteorologists are calling a “Polar Vortex” or an “Arctic Blast.”

Personally, I’m calling it “The Great Freeze of 2025,” and it’s so cold that our docent at The Helbing, Jack Yeend, took the week off.

I’ve been huddled inside, sipping hot cocoa and revisiting one of my favorite projects from last year — a project that, according to you, was my best idea in three decades of writing this column. (One loyal reader went so far to say it was the only good idea I’ve ever had. Ouch, but also … thanks?)

For those of you who missed it, here’s the gist: I was standing in the self-checkout line at Walmart, staring at the cyborg’s screen like it was the Oracle of Delphi, when it asked me if I wanted to round up my bill for charity.

Now, I’m a sucker for a good cause, so I always say yes. After all, as the saying goes, “Many hands make light work,” and a few cents here and there can add up to something meaningful. This time, the charity was Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals — a fantastic charity, but not a local one.

And then it hit me. Not the cyborg — but an idea. A light bulb moment, complete with imaginary cartoon sound effects.

If Walmart can let us donate to out-of-town charities, why not sometimes give us the opportunity to support a local one? Specifically, the Blue River Community Foundation, which does incredible work right here in our backyard, distributing millions of dollars in scholarships and grants every year.

Now, I’m not suggesting we stop supporting national charities. They’re doing important work, too. But wouldn’t it be nice if, during the holiday season, we could round up our bills to help our own neighbors?

Here’s the problem: Walmart is a behemoth. Trying to get someone to listen to my idea has been like trying to get more volunteer docents for The Helbing — futile and slightly humiliating.

Everyone I’ve spoken to has been polite, but I’ve gotten exactly nowhere. So, as a last resort, I’m doing something a little unconventional: I’m writing a letter to Sam Walton. Yes, that Sam Walton. The founder of Walmart. The man who turned a five-and-dime store into a retail empire.

Now, I know Sam passed away in 1992, but I’m hoping someone at Walmart headquarters is still opening his mail. Here goes nothing.

Dear Sam,

I hope you don’t mind me calling you Sam. I feel like we’re old friends. After all, my wife Sandy and I made the pilgrimage to Bentonville, Arkansas, a few years ago.

I walked where you walked, saw where Walmart began, and even ate at the same lunch counter where you probably sketched out your first business plan on a napkin. (Side note: The pie was excellent.)

You remind me of the men from the greatest generation I met as a boy growing up in Shelbyville — hardworking, no-nonsense men who just like you drove Ford F-150s, chewed Red Man tobacco, and spent their weekends fishing or hunting.

You’re one of us, Sam, and that’s why I think you’d appreciate my idea to help my community. As you once said, “Great ideas come from everywhere if you just listen and look at them.”

Well, Sam, I’ve got a great idea, but I can’t find anyone at Walmart to listen to it. I’ve called and been passed from associate to associate. All the associates have been friendly, but none of them have listened. And no wonder, not a single one of them had visited Bentonville. Not one.

So, here’s my idea: Let Shelbyville Walmart shoppers round up their bills for a local charity. We’ve been rounding up for out-of-town charities for years, and that’s great. But sometimes, it’s nice to keep the change, well, close to home.

The Blue River Community Foundation would be the perfect choice. They’ve been around for years, and they’ve done incredible things for Shelbyville, from funding scholarships to supporting local projects.

Imagine what we could do if every Walmart shopper in town chipped in a few cents during the holidays. After all, the March of Dimes cured polio.

Sincerely,

Kris Meltzer

So, dear readers, what do you think? Is it time for Walmart to take our new motto, “Next Door, Next Level,” to heart? Let’s show them that Shelbyville is ready to step up — one round-up at a time.

And if anyone out there has a direct line to Bentonville, give me a call.

See you all next week, same Schwinn time, same Schwinn channel.