State Sens. Jamie Woodson and Tim Burchett, from left, WVLT's Jim Freeman and County Commissioner Ed Shouse helped Pilot give away 20,000 bananas Monday during Pilot Pumpers.
When is pumping gasoline fun? When it’s for charity and you have a bunch of high-spirited local celebrities doing it!
That was the case the first three days of this week during Pilot Pumpers, the annual United Way fundraiser when more than 70 media folks and politicians pumped gas for customers at Knoxville area Pilots. Pilot contributed five cents from every gallon of gas sold and 10 percent of inside store sales to United Way during that time, raising $58,000. It was mighty cold those first two days and very foggy the second, but everyone made the most of it and had a good time.
Here are some highlights:
- Patricia McKeehan is the general manager of the Pilot in Maryville. When she heard that Chiquita was providing banana costumes for Pilot to use in honor of its plan to give away 20,000 free bananas on Monday, she begged to wear one. And she did it up right, dancing herself silly on Northshore Drive and flagging drivers into the store near Kingston Pike. We don’t know WHAT she was listening to on that i-pod, but it must have been good! She’s worked for Pilot for 15 years.
- Bob Yarbrough of WVLT-TV met Christine Gregory and her 1971 Volkswagon Beetle Monday morning. She explained that her car was named “La Verte Tortega,” which she said means “the little green turtle.” It has over 201,000 miles on it.
Bob Yarbrough, Christine Gregory and "turtle" friend
- Brad Jeffries of B97.5 was hamming it up on Tuesday at the Pilot at 136 Northshore where he was pumping gas along with his B97 colleague Ashley Adams and WBIR-TV’s Mike Witcher. At one point he held the gas pump up to his lips and we’re not sure which one we heard saying, “I’d give anything for a match!”
Brad Jeffries: brave man
- Pumping at that same Pilot at a different time Tuesday were five women from WVLT-TV: Megan Campbell, Allison Kropff, Heather Haley, Shirley Nash-Pitts and Sara Shookman. One gentleman customer remarked, “I saw the News Sentinel ad and I couldn’t believe it! All the most beautiful women on TV are all together at once: I had to come to Pilot!”
Megan Campbell, Shirley Nash-Pitts, Allison Kropff, Heather Haley and Sara Shookman, all of WVLT
- Many customers were thrilled to see WBIR-TV‘s Russell Biven and Beth Haynes pumping gas together at the Rocky Hill Pilot. Artist Mike C. Berry, voted by News Sentinel readers recently as Best Local Artist, pulled up and Biven leaned in his window and handed him a coupon for free coffee. “Thanks,” said Berry. “I carry my own mug with me.” He held up a Pilot travel mug featuring artwork that he designed for local Pilot billboards and mugs.
WBIR's Beth Haynes and Russell Biven
- A little while later a truck pulled in and Biven waved at the driver. “He definitely does not want me to pump his gas for him,” Biven commented. Turns out the driver was Steve Gillespie, owner of Gillespie Import Service across the street from Pilot. Biven explained that Biven had recently tried to put oil in his own car but had accidentally put the oil in the washer fluid container. He had taken it to Gillespie to get flushed out. Gillespie came over to shake Biven’s hand. And guess what. He wanted to pump his own gas.
- WBIR’s Erin Donovan was volunteering at the Pilot in Fountain City. Her very first customer was a pickup truck whose gas bill was $75, an amount that surprised her. She mentioned this to the truck’s owner, Bill Spradling. He explained that his big 22-gallon tank literally had been empty. “Thank goodness I made it here,” he said. “It doesn’t look good for an employee of Pilot to run out of gas!”
- Down on Chapman Highway, County Commissioner Mike Brown worked a double shift. It wasn’t until after he had finished that he confessed, “Oops! I’ve been filling every car with premium!”
County Commissioner Mike Brown on Chapman Highway
- County Commissioner Greg Lambert, a proud gun enthusiast, accepted the orange Pilot fleece vest that all the celebrity pumpers received. “Thank goodness it’s a vest rather than a jacket,” he remarked. “When a man carries a sidearm, a vest offers good concealment and also easy access.”
County Commissioner Greg Lambert
- OK. I might as well confess one on myself. I was visiting with WVLT’s Bob Yarbrough on Monday at the Pilot at 136 Northshore. He had forgotten his gloves and his wife brought them to him. When she pulled up in a gray SUV, he leaned into the driver’s window and kissed her. I immediately posted on Twitter and Facebook: “Hey Bob Yarbrough! Less kissing and more pumping!” My on-line “friends” who didn’t realize that my post involved gasoline were somewhat shocked. I got some grief over it, as you can well imagine. Yarbrough, however, said he was going to make that his new motto!
"Banana Girl" Patricia McKeehan has some real good moves.
"Darin' Erin" Donovan from WBIR
Here are some other photos of Pilot Pumpers.
State Rep. Joe Armstrong, right, tries to coach County Commission Chair Tank Strickland on how to pump gas at the Magnolia Avenue Pilot.
We couldn't tell whether businessman Sam Furrow was talking on his cell phone or his banana at the Northshore Pilot.
Beautiful Lori Tucker, evening anchor for WATE, pumps gas at the Rocky Hill Pilot.
Brandon Coulter, the professional bass fisherman Pilot sponsors, attracted attention when he dropped by the Northshore Pilot on Monday.
For even more pictures, go to the “Our Events” page on the Moxley Carmichael Web site.
What a great event for United Way! This is the largest special event fundraiser for the campaign each year and shows how much can be accomplished when business, media, elected officials and the community all work together. Thanks for catching the highlights Cynthia!