Picture this: you’re going about your day, maybe scrolling through your phone or making dinner, when you get a call saying you’ve won free gas for an entire year.
No, this isn’t a spam call—it actually happened to ten lucky Tinker Federal Credit Union members.
TFCU just wrapped up its 2026 Win Gas for a Year Sweepstakes, and the credit union handed out checks to cover twelve months of fuel costs for ten winners scattered across Oklahoma and beyond. The best part? Members didn’t have to jump through hoops or fill out endless forms—if you were a TFCU member, you were automatically in the running.
The Lucky Ten
After a random drawing from all eligible entries, these members hit the fuel-cost jackpot:
- Holly Gordon from Shawnee, OK
- Donald Hobbs from Noble, OK
- Magid Assaleh from Oklahoma City, OK
- David Lesher from Luther, OK
- Ryan Ericson from Bethany, OK
- Sherri Chandler from Ada, OK
- Terri Andrews from Choctaw, OK
- Sidney Koehn from Anadarko, OK
- Sarah Horn from Enid, OK
- Ronald Ernest from Fort Wayne, IN
When Surprise Calls Actually Sound Too Good to Be True
Holly Gordon from Shawnee summed up what most of us would feel: “I was so surprised when I got the phone call saying I won. I couldn’t believe it.” Honestly, in an era where most unexpected phone calls are about your car’s extended warranty, we get the skepticism.
Terri Andrews from Choctaw had an even better story. “I was totally surprised. I didn’t enter anything; I just have an account,” she said. “TFCU has been there for me my whole life. It’s amazing.” That’s the definition of a pleasant surprise—winning something you didn’t even know you were competing for.
Winners shared their excitement and relief, knowing they wouldn’t have to wince at the pump for the next year. That peace of mind? Priceless. Well, technically it’s the price of a year’s worth of gas, but you get the idea.
Celebration Time
On August 21, 2026, TFCU threw a party at its Choctaw branch where winners who could make it showed up to collect their checks in person. There was food, celebration, and presumably some very happy people planning road trips they’d previously put off.
More Than Just a One-Time Thing
This sweepstakes isn’t just a random act of generosity—it’s part of how TFCU operates year-round. The credit union regularly looks for ways to give back to members and the communities it serves, and this particular initiative hit at a time when fuel costs have been pinching household budgets across the board.
“With fuel costs impacting so many households, we saw an opportunity to provide relief to some of our members,” explained Nicole Emmons, senior vice president of marketing at TFCU. “TFCU is always looking for ways to be helpful that are relevant and timely for our communities, and this sweepstakes was just another way for us to make a difference in our members’ lives.”
In other words, while the rest of us are using gas station rewards apps and driving five extra miles for gas that’s three cents cheaper, these ten folks are filling up without breaking a sweat. Living the dream, really.