Real estate company gives away $5,000 in gas to random drivers

CORALVILLE, Iowa (KCRG) - 100 lucky drivers got free $50 for gas in Johnson County on Friday. With high gas prices and a holiday weekend coming up, Urban Acres Real Estate figured now was the best time to help out some drivers. For some, the contribution was a day-maker, for others it meant so much more.

Becky Garcia was working a lunch shift next to the Kum and Go in Coralville when she needed to run a quick errand for the restaurant.

“It’s rush hour, but I had to come to the bank and get some change and stuff. And then I’m like, I’m low on gas. So I was going to see if one of my cards work,” she told TV-9.

She pulled up to the pump and was handed a 50 dollar gift card by one of Urban Acres’ real estate agents.

Owner Robin Sueppel says it’s part of the company’s core values to give back to the community.

“I figured if they’re here they have the money to get gas, but maybe we could just go the extra distance and they could do something extra this weekend with that 50 dollars that they couldn’t do before,” said Sueppel.

For Garcia, that means spending time with family.

“It changes my whole weekend. 50 dollars? I mean it takes almost 70 just to fill the tank right now,” she said. “With this I can go to my granddaughter’s baseball game, I didn’t think I was going to be able to go.”

Bronis Perteit was another lucky driver. As a member of the Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition, she knows just how much this gesture means to people.

“It could make the difference between somebody being able to purchase medication, or something they need for their house that they can put that 50 dollars towards,” said Perteit.

This happened at 3 other gas stations in Iowa City and North Liberty as Urban Acres handed out $5,000 total. The real estate company has never before handed out money at gas stations, but has supported other nonprofit organizations over the last 7 years.

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