Dan Mandis climbed 36 flights of stairs to honor the fallen first responders of 9/11. He didn’t do it for glory, and he certainly didn’t do it because he loves cardio. He did it because he believes local radio has a responsibility to show up for the community it serves — and that belief is exactly what drove SuperTalk 99.7 WTN‘s morning host to lace up his sneakers and climb alongside afternoon host Matt Murphy on the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks.
The stair climb, held in downtown Nashville, honored the memory of the first responders who climbed the stairwells of the World Trade Center in 2001. Mandis and Murphy partnered with Shepherd’s Men, an organization that raises money for veterans impacted by traumatic brain injuries and PTSD, and the pair’s efforts ultimately generated more than $50,000 for the cause.
For Mandis, the event carried a personal weight that went beyond the fundraising total. He was in New York City when the towers fell, and he watched the tragedy unfold in real time.
“Twenty-five years later, you can’t make sense of it, but you can deal with it by doing something good to help those who have been impacted by being in the military, in the theater of battle,” Mandis said. He added that pairing a serious cause with a bit of levity — like needling Murphy over who’d reach the top first — helped make the day memorable rather than merely somber.
That mix of purpose and playfulness has become something of a signature for the WTN morning show, and it’s part of why listeners keep tuning in and organizations keep calling.
A Reluctant Public Speaker Steps Into the Spotlight
Despite spending decades behind a microphone, Mandis openly admits that public speaking terrifies him. So when he recently agreed to serve as emcee for a Feed America First fundraiser in Murfreesboro, he stepped well outside his comfort zone.
“I’m actually afraid of public speaking, and I have been for years,” Mandis said. The event featured Senator Marsha Blackburn as the keynote speaker and raised over $70,000 for the food distribution organization.
Mandis said he surprised even himself by how much he enjoyed the experience, despite years of avoiding similar opportunities. He credited the cause itself for pushing him past his hesitation, and he hasn’t ruled out doing it again.
“I would do it more if I got more phone calls,” Mandis said. That kind of candor — admitting a fear most broadcasters wouldn’t confess to on the record — is part of what makes him relatable to an audience that doesn’t always see hosts as regular people.
Why Local Radio and Charity Work Go Hand in Hand
Mandis views charitable involvement as a two-way exchange rather than a one-directional act of goodwill. Listeners get a cause worth supporting, charities gain visibility and donations, and the station strengthens its bond with the very community it broadcasts to every day.
“Even if people don’t listen to WTN and think we’re all just a bunch of crazy right-wingers, they actually understand that we really do care about the community,” Mandis said. He believes that perception shift matters just as much as the dollars raised, since it builds trust that outlasts any single campaign.
Beyond the stair climb and the Feed America First dinner, Mandis and the WTN team regularly support the Nashville Rescue Mission and the Charlie Daniels Journey Home Foundation, among other organizations. The morning show has helped raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Rescue Mission alone over the years, according to Mandis, through annual live broadcasts from the shelter.
Because so many organizations request the show’s involvement, choosing which causes to support has become an ongoing challenge. Still, Mandis said the station tries to say yes whenever it reasonably can.
“We do what we can to help out as many organizations as we can,” the 99.7 WTN host shared.
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