Better to give than receive

Post Falls graduate hands over key to new Trax right after winning it at Knudtsen Chevrolet

POST FALLS — With a turn of a key, Brian Hansen won a 2019 Chevrolet Trax on Thursday night at Knudtsen Chevrolet.

A minute later, the 2020 Post Falls High School graduate gave it away.

And the crowd of about 100 was a mix of stunned and admiration.

“It’s not that I gave it up,” Hansen said. “It was hers first. It clicked. She opened it. She just didn’t open the door. She got the chance and she won it.”

Amy Palmer, a Timberlake High School grad, was all smiles as she gave Hansen a huge hug after he handed her the key to the $26,000 SUV. “That was really nice,” she said. I don’t know if I would have done the same thing. But now, I guess I should,” Palmer said. “It was unexpected. Most people wouldn’t pass up a new car.”

Eve Knudtsen, owner, was herself in awe of Hansen’s gift.

“My faith in a younger generation is so restored,” she said. “I think those parents in Post Falls are definitely doing something right.”

Here’s what happened at the annual Knudtsen car giveaway to a local graduating senior at the Post Falls dealership and turned an already wonderful event into something extraordinary:

Five graduates from five area high schools chosen by drawing — Hansen, Palmer, Seerit Kaur of Lake City High, Baylee Hatcher of Lakeland High and Katy Cook of Coeur d’Alene High — were each given a key. Only one would open the door of the Trax.

Palmer went first. She thought she heard a click, and it turned, but she had also expected the horn to honk and lights to flash if she had the winning key.

“I didn’t know,” she said. “I felt it flip open. I just didn’t really think about it. I thought, ‘What are the chances the first one opens it?’”

The others took their turns — but none opened the door.

At that point, the keys were placed back in a basket and it was decided to try again.

And it was then Palmer mentioned she must have had the right key, but simply didn’t pull the door open.

“Then I thought, ‘Oh my God. I messed it up. I ruined it.’ Maybe they could sort out the keys, but they had all been put back in the basket,” she said.

“You know what? It’s fine,” she thought to herself. “It wasn’t meant to be.”

On the second try, Palmer went first. No go.

Hansen’s turn.

It opened.

He beamed, grinned and posed for pictures with his new ride as people applaued. The other students received Apple MacBook Air laptops.

But then, Hansen had another thought.

He said he wanted Palmer to have it. Many were in disbelief and wondered what was going on.

He walked over and handed her the key.

“Brian is totally a stand-up guy and he absolutely believes you won the car,” Knudtsen announced. “He’d like to swap you the laptop for the keys to the car.”

People cheered.

Knudtsen Chevrolet, which is marking its 81st anniversary, usually has a big party for the car giveaway that’s happened each year since 2014.

Knudtsen said they do it to honor and encourage graduates.

This year, it was kept smaller, with employees, parents and principals, due to the coronavirus, but Knudtsen was determined to make it happen.

“We didn’t want to deny a deserving senior this year, of all years,” she said.

Hansen, who is leaving soon on a two-year mission to Argentina with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said yes, he could have kept the vehicle. But he already considered himself fortunate just to be there and felt it was better to give it to Palmer.

“Life is about opportunity,” he said.

Did the 18-year-old consider keeping it?

“I did, it’s a $20,000 car. But it’s not about me. She honestly won the car,” Hansen said.

His parents, Jim and Teri Hansen, were proud of their son.

“It about made me cry,” Teri said.

Jim Hansen said his son “has always had a great respect for other people.”

“Community activism and service to other people has always been a hallmark of his character,” he said.

Amy Palmer, of Athol, said the Trax will be perfect for her 45-minute drive to Sandpoint, where she works as a certified nursing assistant.

And she’ll no longer have to borrow her dad’s older Subaru.

“I can’t wait to drive it,” she said.

Her father, Bill Palmer, called Hansen’s action, “absolutely amazing.

“I couldn’t believe it,” he said. “It was very nice of that young man.”