MOORHEAD – Jeff Klonowski thought he was helping a friend pick up a car from Ray's Certified Auto Repair on Saturday afternoon. He didn't realize he'd go home with a new vehicle, as well.
The 58-year-old Red Cross volunteer was selected from 75 nominees to receive a free 1998 Saturn SL2. The auto shop sought nominations from the public to select a deserving recipient.
"It's a blessing," Klonowski said in an interview at the party in his honor. "Shows me that the people that work with me at the Red Cross have a big heart."
Klonowski's co-workers at the Red Cross nominated him for the prize, and many were at the event Saturday, beaming at his surprised expression.
Klonowski started volunteering in March to "try to pay it forward," he said. His house in Hitterdal burned down last year, and the Red Cross helped his family in the days after.
ADVERTISEMENT
Despite personal struggles, such as losing half of one lung to cancer, Klonowski became the local chapter's lead volunteer for fleet maintenance and disaster response coordination, said Keith Huff, Red Cross regional manager for service to the armed forces.
"He must work at his own pace and rest frequently so he does not collapse," Huff said Saturday, reading from the nomination letter he wrote. He choked up as he continued, "You can see in his eyes that he has more fight and determination, but he is restricted by his own body."
Klonowski and his family are currently renting a home in Harwood, N.D., and their income is "below the poverty level," Huff wrote in his letter. "But Jeff conducts himself as if he is the richest man alive because of his family and a sense of purpose in helping others."
Klonowski's own car has more than 300,000 miles, and on Saturday, he decided to give it to the auto shop, so that Ray's can pass it on to another deserving recipient.
