FULL LIST: Willie Wilson announces gas stations participating in 3rd free gas giveaway
CHICAGO - Businessman and mayoral candidate Willie Wilson pledged to give away another $1 million in gas around the Chicago area this weekend.
Wilson announced Tuesday that around 50 gas stations across Chicagoland will be participating in the third such event this Saturday.
"People are really hurting out here in terms of trying to survive, trying to be able to pay rent, trying to buy groceries and we're just trying to play our part as well," Wilson said.
Wilson called on local officials to remove taxes for Saturday's giveaway, which he estimates equates to roughly $100,000.
Previous giveaways have drawn long lines of motorists, stretching for blocks and sometimes clogging crowded intersections.
Wilson insisted his latest gas giveaway had nothing to do with his campaign for mayor, citing decades of previous philanthropy during disasters such as Hurricane Ida and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Wilson’s 2nd Chicago gas giveaway goes smoother, says 3rd a possibility
Flocks of people are heading to select stations across Chicagoland Thursday, as businessman Dr. Willie Wilson is back at it again, donating a total of $1 million in free gas for those struggling to afford the high prices in both Chicago and suburban Cook County.
Wilson mentioned a 1996 Wall Street Journal profile that highlighted his donations to Black causes.
"This is not a political thing," Wilson said. "If it was a political thing then you can go back to 1996. If it was a political thing, we weren't running for mayor of New Orleans. We weren't running for mayor of California. We're not running for mayor in all these different cities where we are giving away money to citizens."
Lightfoot, who was endorsed by Wilson during her 2019 campaign, has proposed a gas giveaway of her own which would dole out $150 gas cards to motorists squeezed at the pump and $50 Ventra cards for CTA commuters who are below a $93,000 income threshold for a family of four.
The proposal was narrowly approved Wednesday by a City Council committee.
The full list of locations for Wilson's third gas giveaway are below.
Chicago Locations
- Super Save 48 E. Garfield Blvd.
- Citgo 1345 N. Pulaski
- Super Save 6659 S. Halsted
- Super Save 11100 S. State St.
- Mobil 2801S. Pulaski Rd.
- Mobile 603 S. Independence Blvd.
- BP 7600 S. South Chicago
- The Ruox 7051 S. Western
- BP 101 N. Western Ave.
- Clark 1952 W. Garfield
- Amoco 7201 N. Clark St.
- Marathon 340 Sacramento Blvd.
- Shell 5230 S. Western
- Golo 1958 W. 47th St.
- BP 5201 W. Jackson Blvd.
- Amoco 4402 W. Roosevelt Rd.
Suburban Locations
- Mobil 1950 Green Bay Rd. - Evanston, IL
- Super Save 101 W. Madison - Maywood, IL
- BP 5149 W. 79th St. - Burbank, IL
- Shell 4804 Butterfield Rd. - Hillside, IL
- Citgo 11900 S. Marshfield Ave. - Calumet Park, IL
- Mobil 5800 W. Cermak Rd. - Cicero, IL
- Phillips 9340 Irving Park Rd. - Cicero, IL
- BP 450 S. Cicero - University Park, IL
- Shell 5630 St Charles - Berkely, IL
- Shell 6129 W. North Ave. - Oak Park, IL
- Sav A Stop 300 E. North Ave. - Northlake, IL
Lightfoot announces free gas, CTA cards as part of new Chicago program
Instead of forfeiting $18 million in revenue by offering a temporary reprieve from her own gas tax hike, Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced a new program that will have the city providing financial assistance for motorists and mass transit riders.