No gimmicks, no strings

There will be no gimmicks and no strings attached when 11 lucky travelers are gifted $50 fuel cards. York County Visitors Bureau, the Nebraska Corn Growers Association, York County Corn Growers and Sapp Bros. have joined together to underwrite the 2008 “York has Gas 4 U” summer program. Recipients of the gas cards will be visitors from out-state or out-of-state.
York County Tourism Director Bob Sautter says this is the fourth year for the give-a-way. The goal is to reward visitors for seeking lodging just off of  I-80 at exit 353.
Each of the program’s four slogans has been catchy and self explanatory. Years one through three read something like this; “Tanks-a-lot.” The York County Visitors Bureau is thrilled to have you “Lift your Fork in York.” Because after a good meal travelers have “Suite Dreams” of stopping in York again.
“The first summer we had ‘Tanks-a-lot,” explains Sautter. “We gave a $25 gift certificate for gas each day for 30 days. The second year it was ‘Lift your Fork in York.’ We paid for someone’s meal every day for 10 days. Last year’s theme was ‘Suite Dreams.’ We gave a week of lodging out one night at a time.”
Sautter says, back by popular demand and fed by economics, the promotion again features gas cards. According to the tourism director, three years ago thanking people with a tank of gas was novel. Since that time Sautter says he’s heard of others using the same approach and even the same “Tanks-a-lot” slogan.
“There really are no strings attached like other folks may have,” Sautter states. He points out, “the cards are given without travelers having to spend a certain amount of nights or dollars.”
According to Mary McNeill of Sapp Bros., tourists she has encountered over the years have been taken aback by the gift. McNeill says it’s exciting when recipients come in the store.
“They can’t believe someone would give them a card for gas. I remember a couple from back east who told me, ‘Boy, this would never happen back there.’ It’s nice there is no catch. You don’t have to buy anything. I always ask where they are from. It reminds me of the way Seward captures a family on the Fourth of July,” McNeill tells.
Sapp Bros. Manager Donna Prince is happy to be part of the “York has Gas 4 U” promotion, “Everyone who came here was always so appreciative.”
Coming up with an idea each year is a process for Sautter who chose the 2008 slogan from a list that included, “We Pass Gas in York” and “York, We Give You Gas.”
Eventually Sautter settled on “a nice appropriate title” even though keeping it light is a must. He calls the summer promotion, “Advertising you just can’t buy at any price. The reactions you get from people who make the choice to stay in York overnight is neat. When we give them a meal, gas or lodging they remember York and tell folks about it. It’s a positive experience that I hope brings us repeat business one way or another. It’s fun to do. It’s like being Santa on a small scale.”
Sautter depends on York’s inn keepers to find his travelers. He found early on it wasn’t the best idea to go knocking on motel doors.
“One of the coolest things when we were paying for lodging was when we took care of the room for a group of college students on a mission trip. It think they where down to their last dollar,” Sautter states.
Each of the gas cards will be accompanied by a self-addressed stamped post card to fill out and mail in. Sautter says his office loves to hear about peoples’ trips, impressions of York ... and what it is actually like to get something for nothing. “York has Gas 4 U” began Wednesday, Aug. 6.