Martinsburg, W.Va. – Mary Lee Scalf received a welcome surprise today as she was chosen as the first winner of West Virginians for Better Transportation’s Gas Tax Giveaway. Scalf was randomly selected out of the more than 1,500 entrants to the contest thus far and will now receive a $250 gasoline debit card.
West Virginians for Better Transportation (WVBT) launched the contest on July 7 and the entries have been flooding in ever since. The prize is intended to cover a person’s average state gasoline taxes for a one-year period, which is $250.
Scalf actually pays much less. She said she and her husband, both retirees, drive about 30 miles per week. Their Chevrolet Cavalier gets between 25 and 30 miles per gallon, which equates to a little less than $20 in annual state gasoline taxes. With the $250 prize, Scalf and her husband will be able to cover approximately 12 ½ years of state gasoline taxes.
The contest runs through September 1 and is open to all West Virginia residents 18 years or older. All a person has to do is enter their information after using the organization’s new gas tax calculator http://www.keepwvmoving.org/gastax/default.aspx.