From The Archives: Luther Saves Spring Break

Chattanooga, TN – (WDEF)   Chattanooga is celebrating March 9th as Luther Day, in honor of his birthday.
And you are encouraged to celebrate by committing Random Acts of Kindness.
Luther specialized in RAC.
To prove the point, we’re taking you back 25 years into the News 12 Archives.
Of course, Luther didn’t want to get the credit, but his pitch on the radio saved Spring Break for some college kids driving through town on the way to Florida.
Here is Craig Ehm’s story from March 16, 1990.

Reporter: what could be better? Four guys from Illinois on a mission their destination Orlando Florida and spring break. Until clankity clank, transmission is gone, car is up on a rack. Enter one Luther Masingill.

Guys: Luther! Hey, we saved you a seat.

Luther: I want to see what you Chicagoans are doing.

Guys: trying some grits

Reporter: Luther joined them for breakfast and picked up the tab. These four desperados tried something they’ve never had before.

Guy 1: you hear about grits all the time, I just had it it’s good, it was real good. It’s kind of like malt-o-meal.

Reporter: meanwhile back at the shop things aren’t looking so good.

Mechanic: the fluid was burnt, you know you could smell it. We’re pulling it in now, were pulling apart to check what damage has been done to it on the inside.

Guy two: Chicago has fine pizza but southern hospitality is only available in a town like Chattanooga.

Guy three: this is a great town, I would love to come back here sometime.

Guy four: maybe Chattanooga just as in a place that you pass through on the way to Florida. You gotta stop here and spend some time.

Reporter: can you believe all the attention spent on this little black car?

Police officer: on behalf of the mayor, here is the key to the city of Chattanooga.

Student: thank you and as a token of our appreciation for everything your city has done for us we would like to give you this T-shirt. It’s not much, but hopefully some into remember us by.