Unleash the extreme at Central

Dakota Segura, Staff Reporter

Midterms might be over, but finals will be here in the blink of an eye, and when that time comes, students might be looking for a way to relieve their stress.

For those who think meditating or listening to music sounds a bit too tame, students will have the opportunity to (legally) demolish a car right on Central’s campus.

On Dec. 1, “Winegars Unleash the Xtreme” will allow Central students to show up to the SURC and smash a car for free.

A&A Auto Wreckers and Towing will be donating a car for the purposes of this event.

“One of the kids called in from the college and asked if we could provide them with a car,” said Kim Heistand, who owns the auto shop along with her husband Randy Heistand.

This is the third year that A&A Auto Wreckers and Towing has donated a car, but it’s the first time that the car bashing event will be sponsored by Winegars.

“[After the event,] we come pick up the car and put it back in the wrecking yard,” Heistand said.

From there, car parts might be either salvaged or sold.

Sledgehammers will be provided for students to smash, crush and bash the car using whatever tactics they wish.

“I think it’s awesome to be able to get your anger out right before finals,” Heistand said.

Winegars’ PR team at Central Communications Agency (CCA) planned the event this year after seeing it was a big hit in previous years with other organizations.

“We’d been talking about it last year and so then [CCA] just proceeded to get it all together,” Kori Winegar, owner of Winegars, said.

Winegars worked with their team of representatives at CCA to figure out what would be a fun, enjoyable event for students to partake in.

“It’s an event that will engage everyone in the community. We all know finals can be a really stressful time,” said Savannah Isbey, senior public relations major and Senior Account Supervisor at CCA.

Isbey, along with a team of other students, represents Winegars. She is the primary communication between Winegars and the rest of her team, and is playing a key role in the organization of this event.

“[There were a] series of meetings where we came up with ideas of what would be engaging and what would get everyone involved,” Isbey said. “This idea sounded really fun.”

Isbey’s team is made up of associate account executives Kelsey Randich, Blake Cranston and Kramer Cirineo.

The car bash will take place by the wildcat statue outside of the SURC on the east patio the Tuesday before finals week.

While there are always many events and activities happening on campus, students might not necessarily always participate.

Isbey’s team at CCA has tried to plan a unique event that will capture the attention and interest of students before finals time, while promoting Winegars.

“We always try to let people know who we are,” Winegar said.

CCA helps plan events for their clients with this in mind. The car smash is just one of many ways in which CCA helps local businesses get their names out there in order to gain publicity and familiarity among residents of Ellensburg.

“We’re having volunteers help with organizing the event,” Isbey said.

These volunteers will most likely be made up of students who are part of CCA or the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA).

Isbey hopes for a fun afternoon full of energy.

Though it is still a few weeks away, CCA is already planning some fun activities for students to look forward to.

“It’s kind of fun to go do and let some of that energy out,” Winegar said. “We’ll be giving away some stuff for participating.”

Winegars will sponsor the event from behind the scenes by making prizes available for students to potentially win. Students who attend will have the chance to strike a pose and win a prize.

“There will be a picture contest going on,” Isbey said.

The more silly, unique or interesting pose, the better. Pictures will be posted on Twitter with a hashtag, and whoever gets the most likes or retweets will win a Winegars gift card.

There are two Winegars locations in Ellensburg, both located on University Way.

Winegar said he invites students to head on over to either location the evening after the car smash for some homemade ice cream.

Isbey and Winegar hope this is an event that students will look forward to being a part of.

For those who might not want to be the ones doing the actual car smashing, watching friends or classmates take a sledgehammer to a car will likely be entertaining, even for a spectator.

“I hope to go be around for a few minutes or hours,” Winegar said.

According to Isbey, this event will not just benefit stress-ridden students, but help connect businesses with the student community.

“Everyone is more than welcome to come,” Isbey said. “Photographers will be on the scene. It’s a great opportunity for students to have fun.”