Photos courtesy Dan Rigler

By Erika Rolling

Community

Winterize Your Ride 2022 records most vehicles winterized in 10-year history

Nov 15, 2022 | 11:30 AM

On Saturday, November 12, hundreds of people lined up outside Prairie Coast Equipment for a chance to learn about and winterize their vehicle for the frigid weather.

Winterize Your Ride 2022, put on by the Grande Prairie Alliance Church celebrated its tenth year of the event and hit some major milestones.

The event offers free vehicle winterization to those in need; seniors, widows, widowers, students, single parents, married parents, and anyone who needs or could use a hand on a first come first serve basis.

Dan Rigler, an organizer of the event since its conception says the day marked their 1000th vehicle winterized and is now over 1100.

“It was a little bit busier than we ever could have imagined, surpassing our previous record by 20 vehicles (winterized). These aren’t just vehicles… these are people’s lives. Every person had a story and it was an incredible milestone hit.”

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Rigler notes despite the increase of people coming to winterize their ride, their volunteer base this year was down by a third of what they usually have for the event.

“We extended the hours, normally we close the gates at four o’clock and we do what we have left in the gates… we ended up getting out of there a 7:30 p.m. making sure everybody who came did get through.”

He says there was an obvious increase of people this year accessing what they offer, with some needing more help than others.

Rigler noted two particular situations where a propane heater was being used in the cab of a vehicle to stay warm and how a person had missed their last three medical appointments in Edmonton due to the condition their vehicle was in, resulting in a stroke.

“People are in a place where they have no choice, really just about survival and keep your vehicle going so they can get from here to there.”

“The fact that a person left feeling that they’re seen, valued, and somebody cared about them, somebody loves them and that there’s help available,” Rigler says is what the event is all about.

He says typically wiper blades and oil top-ups are the most common services for the winterizing event. Sponsors supply an array of needed items and the church pays for other odds and ends outside of donations.

“We really do try and make sure that vehicles leave us safer than when it came in,” Rigler says they try to address all the issues if they can’t fix them during the event.

He says it’s a learning experience for many that come to the event for how to maintain their vehicle and learn some of the basics on upkeep.

Overall, 185 vehicles and countless people benefitted from Winterize Your Ride 2022 event.