For the 23rd consecutive year, the Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association of Kansas (PMCA) donated gas to the Kansas Highway Patrol to fill up patrol cars during the holidays. Through the Holiday Highways Safety Program, the PMCA donates fuel to the patrol to fill up patrol cars from December 24 through January 1. The donation will be of great assistance at a time when budgets continue to be tight.
“For many years now, PMCA’s Holiday Highways Safety Program has worked to help motorists in Kansas make it safely to their holiday destinations,” said Tom Palace, Executive Director of PMCA of Kansas. “Through their participation in this one-of-a-kind program, fuel distributors and convenience stores are voluntarily partnering with the Kansas Highway Patrol to ensure the safety of their customers, their families, and the many visitors traveling to and through Kansas over the holidays.”
“Each year the PMCA of Kansas and their members generously provide tanks of fuel for the Patrol to use while working the highways during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays,” said Colonel Ernest E. Garcia. “This allows us to focus our mission on helping keep Kansas roadways safe, and helping our motorists who need assistance on the highways. We want our travelers to be able to spend time with their loved ones, and PMCA’s thoughtful donation allows us to assist in that effort.”
The PMCA of Kansas is a nonprofit organization for independent petroleum distributors, gasoline retailers, and convenience store owners. This year, participating members of the PMCA graciously provided vouchers for 63 tanks of fuel for troopers to use as they patrol the highways this holiday season.
Last year, during the 2012 Christmas and 2013 New Year’s reporting periods, the provided fuel allowed the Patrol to assist 2,457 motorists, remove 38 impaired drivers from the roadways, and issue 520 citations for occupant protection violations. The donation last year no doubt contributed to the Patrol’s efforts to keep the roadways safe during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. This year, it will help further safety efforts during the holiday season.