CHICAGO — Chicago businessman Willie Wilson on Friday announced his first gas giveaway of $200,000 was not enough after drivers came out in droves to get a piece of the pie, only for many to be turned down after the donation goal of the day was hit.
So Wilson decided to up the ante with another gas giveaway at participating pumps this coming Thursday for a total of $1 million, his announcement said.
The donation comes as people across the country are grappling with higher-than-average gas prices. In the city of Chicago, the average price of regular gas was $4.84 per gallon on Thursday, which is up from $3.28 a year ago, according to AAA. Wilson said the average gas price has “gone well over $4 a gallon for the first time in nearly 14 years,” and the war in Ukraine, a ban on Russian oil and high taxes are all contributing factors.
