Liability concerns from gas station owner ends 20 years of gas pumping for volunteers in Albion

Photo by Tom Rivers: This group was out on a chilly Feb. 1 pumping gas for people at the Crosby’s at the corner of routes 98 and 31 in Albion. Pictured from left include Gary Westlund, Gary Kent, Phil Brady and Tim Tierney.

ALBION – A group of volunteers that pumped gas for senior citizens on Wednesday mornings in Albion has been forced to discontinue the service due to liability concerns.

Reid Petroleum informed the Albion Betterment Committee that it could no longer allow the volunteers to pump gas for people due to concerns the volunteers could get hurt.

Reid Petroleum officials met with the group on June 7, the last day of gas pumping and presented them with a $1,000 check to be given to the PAWS Animal Shelter.

The Betterment Committee has been pumping gas from 9 to 11 a.m. on Wednesday morning for about 20 years in all kinds of weather, from brutal cold to oppressive heat. No one ever was injured, said Gary Kent, one of the ABC directors and a mainstay at gas pumping.

The volunteers all were willing to sign waivers to not seek money from Reid Petroleum in case they were hurt at the site. But Reid Petroleum still felt the company would be exposed to liability, Kent said.

“We all got a kick out of it,” Kent said about pumping gas. “It was fun helping people. We enjoyed socializing and interacting with the people.”

He reached out to the Kwik Fill gas station in Albion but that company also rejected the volunteers due to liability.

“I got to tell the other guys it’s over,” Kent said today.

He felt like the volunteers made a difference for many senior citizens, pumping their gas and taking their money into Crosby’s.

“When you get to be 80, 85, 90, it’s anything to make it a little bit easier,” Kent said about the service.

The Betterment Committee also offered a 10-cent discount per gallon. They accepted donations to be given to PAWS. Many of the seniors gave back the gas discount and said to give the money to PAWS.

Last year the Betterment Committee donated about $900 to PAWS from the donations. It was about $850 in 2021. The group was on a pace to top $1,000 this year.

Kent said many of the volunteers were dedicated over the years, including Gary Westlund, Clarence Winkelmann, Tim Tierney, Phil Brady and Mike Wright.