At first, Indiana Township man wasn’t buying that he won ‘Official Steelers Truck’
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Dave Lynch had pulled two double shifts when his phone started ringing and texting about a Ford truck while he drove on Route 28 to his Indiana Township home.
“I thought it was some solicitation, and I wasn’t interested in buying anything,” said Lynch, 54, who works in law enforcement.
When he got home and checked his messages, he eventually spoke to the Ford dealership, although he still thought someone was trying to sell him something.
Much to his surprise, Lynch learned he was picked from tens of thousands of entries to win the “Official Truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers.”
Bedecked in the Steelers black-and-gold and sporting their team logo, the Ford F-150 XLT SuperCrew 4×4 pickup soon will be Lynch’s.
It’s the eighth annual official truck of the Pittsburgh Steelers that the Neighborhood Ford Store promotion has given away in its nine years as a team sponsor. Neighborhood Ford Store is a group of 80 Ford dealers in Western Pennsylvania, Southeastern Ohio, the panhandle of Maryland and north central West Virginia.
The truck is used for special Steelers events and is on display at all home preseason and regular season games at Heinz Field.
Lynch will officially take possession of the truck Jan. 4 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. during a special event showcasing the Steelers custom-painted truck at Shults Ford in Harmar, according to Nancy Lewis, a spokeswoman for the Neighborhood Ford Store.
Lynch learned about his prize days before the Steelers vs. Bills game Dec. 15. He was presented the keys to the truck by Neighborhood Ford Store’s Chairman Joseph Thurby at a brief halftime ceremony during the game.
Lynch had registered for the Steelers truck sweepstakes before but never thought he would win.
“It will be great at tailgate parties, but I don’t tailgate,” said Lynch, who has been a Steelers season ticket holder since 1981.
“The truck’s a head turner, that’s for sure,” Lynch said.
Although it’s a rugged vehicle, Lynch said, “it’s too pretty to take on wintry Pittsburgh roads.”
But he does have plans: One of the motivations for Lynch to enter the truck sweepstakes was to add a vehicle to haul his and his wife Shelley Whitney’s pop-up camper.
Lynch said he still has a hard time believing that he won a truck that has a sticker price of $54,000.
“Just that fact that someone gave something to me is still sinking in,” he said.
Although there will be some taxes to be paid, it’s still a windfall, said Lynch, who added, “I am appreciative.”