CLOQUET – By going above and beyond for a AAA member, Wesley Vork, owner of Cars Towing in Cloquet, won an award from AAA.
Vork’s honor stems from a September 2020 out-of-area service call. He responded to call for a AAA member who had been stranded since 8 p.m. the night before. The man did not have a cell phone when Vork arrived.
With help from McGregor Ambulance Service, officials determined the stranded member was lost 850 miles away from his home in Ohio.
Because his wife is a caretaker for someone with Alzheimer's disease, Vork said he noticed some signs of the disease when he spoke with the member. He informed the Minnesota State Patrol that the man was having problems with his memory.
Vork said the man was taken to a local hospital, where officials contacted his family. A couple days later, Vork got a call from the man thanking him and letting him know he was safe at home.
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Vork was awarded second place, which came with a $3,000 prize. He donated $1,000 each to local emergency medical services and Alzheimer’s disease research.
The awards are given to members and contractors who go the extra mile to help a member, according to a AAA news release. Entries are reviewed by a panel of judges who decide which applicants from across the county will win awards.
While Vork was awarded the prize and recognition, he said it could have been any one of his staff members who could have gotten the call.
Vork decided to donate some of the money because he said that is the kind of person his mother raised. Choosing both the local ambulance service and Alzheimer’s research was an easy choice.
“We are big fans of and supporters of the local volunteer departments ... those guys do a hell of a job and we support them on an ongoing basis,” he said.
Vork usually supports local emergency services in Cloquet and Thomson Township, but he decided to donate to the McGregor outfit as they were the ones who helped on the call.
His choice to donate a portion of the funds to Alzheimer’s disease research came from first-hand experience seeing the effects the disease has on people. His wife is a caretaker for a woman with the disease, he said.
“You could see what havoc Alzheimer's wreaks on families,” he said.
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While he didn’t initially plan on submitting an application for the award, Vork said his local AAA representative encouraged him to consider it. He ultimately decided enter to bring awareness to Alzheimer’s disease.
“If by submitting this, it can help create awareness for this disease and shake loose a few donations that will go to helping find a cure, then it is probably worth it,” he said.
This article was edited at 2:54 p.m. on April 9 to remove the apostrophe from Cars Towing's name. It was originally posted at 7 p.m. on April 6.
