Jeep winner thrilled with her new ride

8/15/2018

Sue and David Kucinski of Toledo pose with the new 2018 Jeep Wrangler that Sue won at the Toledo Jeep Fest. Jerry Huber of the JeepFest Steering Committee is at right.

Yark Automotive

When Sue Kucinski attended the Toledo Jeep Fest, she didn’t think she would win one of the rugged vehicles, but she bought three raffle tickets worth $50 anyway.

After returning home, Mrs. Kucinski, 62, forgot all about the raffle held Saturday until she found the tickets Monday while taking care of some bills. That’s when she decided to visit the raffle website.

Mrs. Kucinski, of Toledo, quickly learned that one ticket number matched the winning one listed on the website. She couldn’t believe it.

“I can't even get my head around it,” the new owner of a 2018 four-door Jeep Wrangler said. “It’s everything and more than what I thought.”

She received her new car Monday and is still learning all its features. The heated seats and steering have her excited already.

Yark Automotive Group Vice President Doug Kearns said the company, which supplied the winning Wrangler, enjoys being involved in efforts that support Jeep.

“We appreciate the brand and what it means to Toledo,” he said. “We have a great relationship and do anything we can to support the brand.”

Mrs. Kucinski said she’s thrilled “to be driving something so brand new.”

Although she has always been a fan of Jeep, she didn’t get to drive her first one until the Jeep Fest last weekend. There, she said she met people from all over the country.

“[It was] just a super proud moment to not only know they came to honor our city, but to honor our heritage,” Mrs. Kucinski said.

She added that she’s looking forward to learning how to off-road with her new Jeep and has plans to visit a friend in Memphis.

“We’re so excited to be driving something made in Toledo,” Mrs. Kucinski said.

Contact Areeba Shah at ashah@theblade.com, 419-724-6066, or on Twitter @areebashah.