Here are the gas stations teaming up with Willie Wilson for $1 million gas giveaway on Thursday
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Chicago area drivers have another chance at up to $50 of free gas on Thursday, as businessman and philanthropist Willie Wilson has organized a $1 million gas giveaway at nearly 50 gas stations in the city and suburbs.
It comes one week after Wilson, a former mayoral candidate, teamed up with 10 Chicago gas stations to give away $200,000 in free gas, causing huge traffic backups, as hundreds of drivers lined up to fill their tanks.
Many people tried to cut the line -- resulting in police, at one point, closing a gas station temporarily.
Thursday's gas giveaway will start at 7 a.m. at nearly 50 local gas stations. The rules are simple. Pull up to a participating gas station, and fill up your tank with up to $50 worth of gas.
The giveaway will last until the $1 million cap is hit.
- BP - 11040 S. Pulaski Rd., Oak Lawn
- Shell, 5230 S. Western Av., Chicago
- BP, 342 E. 35th St., Chicago
- Super Save, 48 E. Garfield Blvd., Chicago
- Shell, 6434 W. Archer Av., Chicago
- Citgo, 6700 S Cottage Grove Av, Chicago
- BP, 7600 S. South Chicago Av., Chicago
- Clark, 1201 W. 87th St, Chicago
- Gulf, 9901 S. Halsted St., Chicago
- Super Save, 9452 S. Cottage Grove Av., Chicago
- Super Save, 11100 S. State St., Chicago
- BP, 4401 W. 55th St, Chicago, IL
- Amoco, 7210 N. Clark St., Chicago
- Citgo, 1345 N. Pulaski Rd, Chicago
- Marathon, 340 S Sacramento Blvd, Chicago
- Amoco, 4401 W. Roosevelt Rd, Chicago
- Citgo, 5103 W. Madison St., Chicago
- Citgo, 5150 W. Chicago Av., Chicago
- BP, 3955 N. Western Av., Chicago
- Shell, 6129 W. North Av., Chicago
- Super Save, 101 W. Madison, Maywood
- Mobil, 1950 Green Bay Rd, Evanston
- Shell, 3901 S. Harlem Av., Stickney
- Falcon, 18280 S. Pulaski Rd., Country Club Hills
- BP, 17450 S. Kedzie Av., Hazel Crest
- Citgo, 13801 S. Halsted St., Riverdale
- Exxon Mobil, 1421 E Sibley Blvd, Dolton
- BP, 15857 S. Halsted St., Harvey
- GoLo, 4005 W. 135th, Robbins
- Citgo, 11901 S. Marshfield Av., Calumet Park
- Shell, 385 Sauk Trail, Park Forest
- Falcon, 8702 S. Roberts Rd., Hickory Hills
- Citgo, 15221 S. Halsted St., Phoenix
- BP, 11201 W. Cermak Rd., Westchester
- Phillips, 9340 Irving Park Rd., Schiller Park
- Amoco, 1700 N. Mannheim, Stone Park
- BP, 5201 W. Cermak Rd, Cicero
- Mobil, 1101 N. LaGrange Rd., LaGrange Park
- Mobil, 9401 W. Higgins, Rosemont
- BP, 5548 W. 159th, Oak Forest
- BP, 17th & Bataan, Broadview
- BP, 1309 N. 25th, Melrose Park
- Shell, 4555 N. Nagle, Harwood Heights
- Shell, 2474 Thatcher, River Grove
- Shell, 2401 Lincoln Hwy, Olympia Fields
- BP, 1601 Oak Park, Berwyn
"We met yesterday with all of the 50 service station owners, just to make sure that things kind of run smoothly," Wilson said Tuesday morning.
Wilson originally planned to include a Shell gas station in Alsip in the gas giveaway, but after seeing the traffic problems that Wilson's earlier giveaway created in Chicago, Alsip officials did not want the giveaway held there, so Wilson agreed not to include that gas station.
Other stations have also backed out of the $1 million gas giveaway – including two Thornton stations, in Dixmoor and Bellwood, and a Citgo station in Bridgeport.
Richard Boykin, a former Cook County commissioner now running against Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle in the Democratic primary in June, has been helping Wilson coordinate the gas giveaway. He said he's working with the Chicago Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), the Chicago Police Department, the Mayor's Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, the Cook County Sheriff's Office, and suburban mayors to coordinate traffic management during the gas giveaway.
"We've been meeting with them over the last few days to make sure that we can minimize any disruptions that people may have getting to work, getting to school, or getting to doctor's appointments," Boykin said. "The police have made it abundantly clear that we want to make sure that we don't block driveways, that we don't prohibit emergency ambulance vehicles from getting through."
Boykin said CPD and Cook County Sheriff's officers will help direct traffic at participating gas stations, with two sheriff's cars at each suburban location. CPD also will have officers at every gas station in the city to help coordinate, and OEMC will have representatives at 12 locations in the city.
At last week's giveaway, some cars waited more than 7 hours in line for free gas, but Boykin said organizers are asking drivers not to line up more than an hour early this time.
"We don't want people lining up overnight. It starts at 7 in the morning, and so if you get there at 6, 6:30, and begin to get in line, that's fine," Boykin said.
Up to 400 tickets also will be handed out at each station for drivers who line up for gas in an effort to better coordinate traffic at each site, and only drivers with those tickets will be able to get free gas.
"At the end of 400, it's pretty much done, so we're going to notify people at the end of the line that it's pretty much done, so people don't have to wait, thinking that they're going to get free gas. They will know automatically. So we won't have people waiting hours in line," Boykin said. "This, we hope, will help to make things seamless, and smooth in the process."
Wilson's Facebook page also will post instructions for how to line up for the giveaway at each station.
"There's going to be one way into the station, and one way out of the station, and we encourage all of the citizens who are around these gas stations, please, to have a little patience; and to plan for what may be a big turnout of people in your neighborhood. So we encourage you to plan for that in advance. Again, we're doing everything within our power to ensure that this is as smooth as possible," Boykin said.
Drivers also should not bring gas cans to the giveaway. People will only be allowed to fill up the tank of their vehicle, with up to $50 worth of gas. Wilson said his team has hired 250 part-time workers to pump the gas at the participating stations, paying them $15 an hour for three hours of work. Volunteers also will help out at each site.
The giveaway comes amid soaring gas prices nationwide. As of Tuesday morning, the average price of a gallon of regular gas in the Chicago metro area stood at $4.61, according to AAA. The average price of a gallon of premium gas in the Chicago area is up to $5.43.
Wilson said, after Thursday's giveaway, he'll continue to monitor gas prices to determine if any further help is needed.
"Let's hope these gas prices come down. If they don't come down, we're going to have to reach in our pockets some more," Wilson said.
