Gold Gas Can Award | Boise Subaru

History Behind the Gold Gas Can Award

When our founder Larry H. Miller was first starting out in the car business, he was busy balancing his work and family life. He had the opportunity to take his wife, Gail, and their young son, Greg, on a weekend road trip from Salt Lake to Denver. He had to get back to the store by Monday, which meant a long night of driving back on Sunday. In the middle of the night, somewhere outside of Rock Springs, Wyoming, Larry's car ran out of gas. Larry knew it was too far to walk and couldn't leave his wife and son stranded on the side of the road. He knew he was going to have to flag someone down.

The very first vehicle Larry tried to flag down stopped to help. Not only did he stop to help, he was the perfect person for the job. The good Samaritan was an oil field mechanic and on his truck was a 30-gallon fuel tank. He didn't just give Larry a gallon or two to make it to the next town, he filled his tank all the way up.

When Larry tried to pay the man, he wouldn't take it. The gentleman simply said, "I don't want your money. To pay me back you simply need to promise that you will pull over to help the next person you see on the side of the road and help them."

This interaction had a huge impact on Larry. He kept that promise and expanded on it. He made it his goal to try to help anyone he saw in need. Not just filling up gas tanks - from buying lunch for someone having a rough day to providing groceries to an employee in need.

At Larry H. Miller Subaru, we continue to pay this tradition forward. It's part of our culture: our mission, vision and values. Each quarter, our employees nominate fellow team members who best embody our values. Those employees receive the Golden Gas Can Award and a one-ounce silver coin. It's a reminder to where we have come from and how each one of us can make a difference in someone's lives.

Congratulations to the Winners

2021 Q4

Kaden Bryant