Fort Worth police surprised drivers with free gas on Wednesday.
The Fort Worth Police Department partnered with the nonprofit Fort Worth Metro at the Lucky Shamrock gas station for the unannounced event dubbed April Fuels Day. Organizers aimed to ease the burden of high fuel costs on residents.
The department kept the giveaway secret beforehand to reach those in genuine need, police said.
“We got together with a nonprofit organization that said, ‘What can we do today to take care of our community?'” FWPD spokesperson Buddy Calzada said, as reported by CBS News Texas. “I said, let’s give away some free fuel. So here we are right now – April Fuels Day. We partnered with Fort Worth Metro, and we’re hoping to take care of about 72 to 75 vehicles with $25 worth of fuel.”
Officers directed drivers into the station and pumped $25 worth of fuel into each tank.
“I needed some gas too. I love to see this,” one driver said. “This is great.”
“Every little bit helps, especially now,” driver Gina Brown said, per CBS. “Hard times have definitely set in, so this is great.”
Fort Worth Metro Executive Director Ruth Calzada said the group has served the neighborhood for more than 30 years and sought to deliver targeted relief.
“This is just a small thing, but we know it’s big to you,” she said. “Fuel is expensive right now. If we can provide just a little bit of relief for you, then that’s what we want to do.”
Drivers described their struggles with costs.
“Four dollars a gallon is a little expensive,” one man said. “Some of us can’t afford it, but we gotta do what we gotta do.”
Driver Lashan Houston said the fuel helped after her daily drives between Arlington and Fort Worth to pick up her children.
Word of the event spread fast. Within an hour, officers had fueled about 80 vehicles, police said.
“This is probably the cheapest place in Fort Worth – or in the nation – for fuel today,” one driver joked. “Cheap. Free. And you get it pumped.”
As pumps ticked higher, another driver captured the reaction: “Man, it feels more than good. I feel like their hearts are just beaming. Just like mine.”
