The teenager, who will be entering Grade 12 at Carlton Comprehensive Public High School in the fall, entered the competition at one of 66 live radio events held throughout the summer. Jocelyn Bovay, retail manager at 101.5 Beach Radio, said there were more than 12,000 entrants.
“The competition gets us out into the community and we can highlight community events and new businesses that people may not know about, or maybe an established business is hosting a customer appreciation event,” Bovay said. “The community loves it and we love being a part of it.”
From all the entries, 101 names were drawn. Those people, including Gibson, gathered at Little Red River Park on Saturday afternoon. When a finalist’s name was called at the park, they had the opportunity to select a key that would win them the free ride. Just over a third of the keys had gone through before their name was called.
While the accidental win came as a shock to Gibson, some might also view it as a sign of good karma for the teenager.
“I grew up listening to local radio and I always loved you guys. When we were little, my mom would always be like, ‘Let’s drop off cookies at the Give a Little Life Day radiothon to raise money for the hospital,’ and I said, ‘okay,’ and then it just became a tradition that every year we would drop off cookies and make a donation.”
Gibson drove away in a new-to-her 2012 Nissan Murano with new wheels and tires, glass, remote start, custom sport rack and updated sound system. The vehicle was provided by Westview Steering & Brake, who also performed the mechanical work. R&W Custom Collision handled the paint and body work, while TR Spring & Align added the trailer hitch, a bike rack and WeatherTech mats. Fresh Air Experience also donated a mountain bike. Gibson also took home a Traegar Ironwood 650 pellet grill donated by Rona and a $500 meat package from ParklandMeats.
“I’m also excited about the meat package and the smoker. That’s going to be my dad’s thing,” Gibson said.
Additional sponsors that made the free ride contest possible include: Ben’s Auto and House Glass, Fabricland, PA Soundworks, TEK Auto Repair, Lake Country Co-op, Affinity Insurance, Wicks Detailing, Evergreen Nissan, Knotty Pine Bistro, PA Wand Wash, Markit Signs and Napa Auto Parts.
Bovay said work on the vehicle for next year’s Summer Free Ride had already begun.
—
