Westworld Alberta

member story Myrna and Shawn Schofield pose for wedding photos on the truck from their fateful first meeting. C R in Love at First Tow E by Myrna Schofield I t was October 2009, and I was on my way to a first date with a man named Shawn Schofield. We'd been chatting online for months and had decided it was finally time for a face-toface. I was living on an acreage just outside Camrose at the time and he was in Sylvan Lake – a two-hour drive. Unfortunately, the whole thing ended before it began. "Sorry," I texted him from the shoulder of the QE2. "Can't make it. My truck broke down." I'd just gotten off the phone with AMA Roadside Assistance and they'd told me they were sending someone right away. "I'll come wait for the tow with you," he replied. He arrived just in time to see the truck pull up. We said hello and goodbye, 6 Westworld p06-07_MemberStory.indd 6 >> and I hopped in with my rescuer, Keith Stebner, owner of Ponoka First Call Towing. On the way home, my phone buzzed. It was a text message from Shawn: "Well, I'm just gonna put my pajamas on and have a beer, because my date went home with another man." He had me at goodnight. Since that first encounter, the incident became a running gag. "If you don't like it, why don't you just run back to Mr. Tow Truck?" Shawn would joke. "Maybe. He did have better equipment," I'd fire back. A year and a half later, we were getting ready to tie the knot. We decided that the man who drove away with me on our first date should be the one to ferry me to the church on the big day. I contacted AMA to see if they could track him down. Before long, they put me in touch with him. I called him up and explained what I had in mind. "Of course, we're willing to pay for your time," I offered. He paused. "No, I think it'll be my wedding gift." Jump to April 4, 2012, and I'm pulling up in front of my home in a tow truck and walking down a red carpet that Keith himself rented. If that wasn't enough, the pen we were using to sign the marriage licence ran out of ink mid-way through. Guess who came through yet again? Send us a story of how AMA has made a difference in your life. MemberStory@ama.ab.ca february 2013 13-01-16 12:15 PM FO he Ri of Di Go da wi h

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