CHICAGO — Former mayoral candidate Willie Wilson, who has made headlines by giving away truckloads of face masks and envelopes of cash, is digging into his pockets again.
Wilson, who made millions selling medical supplies, will give away $200,000 in gasoline Thursday morning at 10 stations around the city.
The giveaway is scheduled to start 7 a.m. Thursday, but lines are expected to form well before that. Free fuel will be pumped until “$200,000 is exhausted,” according to a news release from Wilson on social media.
The gas will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis.
“The soaring price of gas has caused a hardship for too many of our citizens,” Wilson said in the release. “The war in Ukraine, a ban on Russian oil and high taxes are contributing to rising fuel prices.”
On Wednesday morning, the average price for regular gas in Chicago hovered around $4.685 per gallon, according to GasBuddy, which tracks gas prices.
At the start of March, Chicagoans were paying “$3 and change within city borders,” Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, previously said. De Haan said he expects prices to “continue inching higher” as the United States bans Russian oil following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Gas station owners participating in Wilson’s giveaway said they will temporarily lower prices, “to allow more cars to benefit from Dr. Wilson’s generosity,” according to the news release.
The gas will be pumped by employees hired by Wilson. Each driver will also receive a free notepad on behalf of Wilson.
Neighbors can receive $50 of free gas at these stations starting 7 a.m. Thursday:
- Washington Park: Amstar, 368 E. Garfield Blvd.
- Calumet Heights: Citgo, 9155 S. Stony Island Ave.
- South Deering: Marathon, 1839 E. 95th St.
- Humboldt Park: Citgo, 1345 N. Pulaski Road
- Washington Heights: Gulf, 9901 S. Halsted St.
- South Lawndale: Mobil, 2800 S. Kedzie Ave.
- Rogers Park: Amoco, 7201 N. Clark St.
- Irving Park :BP, 4359 N. Pulaski Road
- Garfield Park: Marathon, 340 Sacramento Blvd.
- Garfield Park: Falcon, 43 N. Homan Ave.
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