Making a trip to the gas station has historically been a bit inconvenient, especially when you’re in a rush to make it to work on time. As the price to fuel up continues to rise in America, folks are finding it even more of a drag to hit the pumps.
One Texas couple helped ease the burden by offering $3,000 in free gas to visitors of a Brownsville Stripes located at 3595 West Alton Gloor Boulevard, according to several social media reports. The duo, Suzett Rubio and Benjamin Leal, say it’s part of a larger mission they’re on to give back to their community.
The event took place on Sunday, March 22, and led a long line of vehicles to line up near the property. A video shows a traffic jam near the site, which neighbored a highway access road and streetlight. At least two police cars are also seen near the station. Users in the comments attributed the act of kindness to Modern Hippie, run by Leal and Rubio, on Facebook
The duo announced the gesture on social media, saying they were “ready” for people to arrive at pumps one and nine. It was published at 4:53 p.m. and met with dozens of comments from locals. Some said they were waiting in line, while others said they were “driving fast” to the spot. Others thanked them for helping them out.
“Thanks, the gas really helped out, blessed u all,” resident Anthony Longoria wrote.
Rubio tells MySA their original plan was to pass out $50 gift cards at the pumps, but the Stripes did not have any for purchase in-store; instead, they repaid $200 at a time. Overall, she says they put gas in over 60 vehicles that afternoon.
“We stood out there talking & fueling with people for 4 hours,” Rubio wrote in a statement. “It was amazing … Some people who showed up only took $6 or $25, $35, [or] $14. We had several amazing souls who just showed to say ‘Hi’ & shake our hands.”
The Modern Hippie account announced the beginning to a series of giving away $10,000 to the Brownsville community on Saturday, March 7. In their video, they say it feels “crazy,” but they want to do it in creative ways without a big company or sponsorship support.
Follow-up posts on the account document them giving away a van to a Flea Market seller in need for $1, and paying for meals at a recently-opened restaurant, then offering them to locals who visit there for free.
“I believe good people should build wealth… because when good people have resources, they can do good things. That’s what ModernHippie is about,” they wrote in a post. “Peace, good energy, helping others — but also building real wealth and freedom. I’m documenting my journey from $10K to $1M while helping people along the way.”
Rubio says they plan to keep hosting activities with the support of donations and fundraisers.
“The 10k came from us in order to spark a movement big enough to create a chain reaction in people,” she said. “That same day, the lady giving the pump next to her some gas was proof for us that it worked.”
Rubio was born in Brownsville, but spent five years living in San Antonio. She says she plans on working her way down to the city to help locals in the future.