Surprise car changes life for struggling Florida couple

Fort Walton Beach, Florida (WKRGMore) — Johnny Gazoo says he and his wife of four years need a reliable car more than anything else.

Johnny Gazoo said, “We’ve been sharing her mother’s hand-me-down car. With her working and me working and me going to school, there were certainly some challenges. there was.

“I don’t have a car, so sometimes I bike to work, and that’s fine. I live half a mile from work, but this car changes everything.” Courtney Gazoo said.

On Friday, April 21, the couple were picked up in a limousine in Pensacola and driven to Step One Automotive in Fort Walton Beach.

The red carpet and crew of United Ways across the region surprised the couple with a free car.

“Absolute elation. I’m so much like Starstruck because when we won, I didn’t even understand that we won,” Johnny said. Really doing a lot along the panhandle and just showed up today and had no idea there was a limousine on the way here doing something like Dance Party 2023. And , showed up with everyone standing outside and oh my god I didn’t expect that.Absolutely unbelievable”

Johnny and Courtney won the car through the Step One Automotive Driving Opportunity Giveaway. United Way asked its partners to register any family or local resident in need of a car and chose her Gazoo family as the winner.

“We donate cars to families in need. Maureen Biermann, Marketing Director of Step One Automotive Group, said: “Mobility is changing people’s lives and is the heart and soul of our company. We are the soul and truly believe that mobility can change people’s lives, and putting someone in a safe car can make an amazing difference.”

Step One states that making a difference in the lives of families is a core value of the company.

“We want to give back to the community. said. “We get car requests from people saying, ‘I need a car. My church needs a church bus. ‘How can we do it in a way that makes sense to us?’ I thought.”

This car is worth about $25,000 with a two year warranty. Gazoo’s is responsible for registration and insurance.

The Gazoo family said they were able to drive to work and travel farther from Pensacola, making the wheels safer.

“We want to go to Biloxi. We want to go to New Orleans, but we didn’t have a reliable car to get out of near Pensacola,” Courtney said.

“Now I can take summer classes at Pensacola State University. I plan to finish my computer programming degree early. The stress has been lifted from us, and it’s what we’ve been praying for for weeks.

Mayor Dick Lynearson of Fort Walton Beach, members of the United Way of West Florida’s Emerald Coast, and Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel of Okaloosa County were there to congratulate the couple.

“I just got the keys to the city, so I guess I’ll have to go somewhere in Fort Walton,” said Johnny. “So I think we should probably come here and see all the sites and do fun things for all tourists.

learn more about united way and Step One Automotive online.