One of the best moments of my Summer so far was escorting Country star Lauren Alaina to the back of a Ford F150 truck for her performance at Apple Ford in Columbia, leading up to our big WPOC Apple Ford F 150 Giveaway. It truly was one of the most unbelievable moments of my entire WPOC career.
What are the odds that 54 contestants would pick a possible winning key to start that truck and out of all of them as they selected in random order, the first 53 would ALL pick NON-winning keys leaving THE ONLY KEY in the bucket for the 54th and final contestant to take into the driver's seat? What are those odds? Maybe the same that Steve Ridgely would even be there to be the 54th contestant in the first place.
Apple-A-Day Ford Truck Key Giveaway with Michael J
By Jenny Slade
Here's what you may NOT know.
Steve was one of the final people picked for the FIVE keys that were given away on site AT APPLE FORD on the day of the giveaway. All the others had won their keys previously given away on air with 93.1 WPOC. In fact, Steve wouldn't have even been at Apple Ford if not for his mother-in-law who won HER key on the radio and wanted Steve to be there for her emotional support! When he heard me announce that there was still a chance to sign up to win one of the remaining keys , he figured he'd give it a shot. Long odds you say? Well he's beating even odds even greater, fighting cancer!
On the day we gave away this Apple Ford F150, Steve wore a bandana around his neck to hide the incision and staples still holding his throat together after a still fresh thyroid cancer surgery. Steve's family told me his doctors have given Steve long odds in an up hill battle to survive. He needed some good news, some kind of sign that his luck would turn.
Tears ran down his face sitting in that F150, motor running, realizing it was now his, he told me "God is Good". Crazy long odds, you might say, but Steve isn't letting any of them keep him from being thankful for each day he gets. Steve, my prayers are with you and your family. Here's to many more happy miles in your future!