LA GRANGE PARK, Ill. — They started lining up at 11 p.m. Wednesday night. Or at least they tried to. The first in line for a March 24 giveaway of $20,000 worth of gasoline, a veteran named John who lives in the neighborhood, said he was chased away and not allowed to take his spot at the front of the line until 3 a.m.
“It’s worth it to me,” he told CSP Daily News. “I’ve got no wife, no family. I’m unemployed, on disability. Why not take advantage?”
John was one of hundreds taking advantage of Chicago businessman and sometime-politician Willie Wilson’s giveaway of $1 million in gasoline at 48 independent gas stations in Chicago and Cook County, Illinois.
“I’m one to believe that if you have a few extra dollars that you can spend, you must reach out and help others,” Wilson said during a press conference on March 22. “Let’s hope these gas prices come down. If they don’t come down, we’re going to have to reach into our pockets some more.”
Cars were lined up for blocks along 31st Street in La Grange Park, Ill., where Mobil station owner Tony Kinsookaran closed the small convenience store to keep fuel traffic moving through the lot. He said he expects to go through about 8,000 gallons of gasoline during the giveaway, which started at 7 a.m. and was expected to continue through 10 a.m. or “until we run out of money,” he said. Each motorists was presented with a $50 gas card. Planners expected to give away 400 throughout the morning.
“It’s worth it to do something nice for the customers,” he said. The price for gas at the station stood at $4.649 per gallon when the line started moving at 6:30 a.m., a half an hour early.
For motorist Vincent, who lined up at 5:30 a.m. and needed to be at work by 7:30, the giveaway was a nice relief to continuous news of inflation and war in Ukraine. He said he was grateful for Wilson’s generosity.
“I’m happy for people like that. It’s very kind of him,” he said. “He’s one of the good ones. He’s willing to pay his success forward.”