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Beach Radio's Lew Harrison handed over the keys to Summer Free Ride winner Cindy Porter of Kinistino. (Image Credit: paNOW)
Beach Radio’s Summer Free Ride

Kinistino woman wins 2008 Mini Cooper in annual radio contest

Aug 22, 2026 | 5:10 PM

A Kinistino woman is getting ready to cruise around town in a newly refurbished Mini Cooper after winning 101 Beach Radio’s annual Summer Free Ride contest.

Cindy Porter entered the contest just once this year, at Leon’s in Prince Albert, but her single entry was enough to put her behind the wheel of the grand prize.

Porter, who has participated in the contest in previous years, was ecstatic when she found out she had won.

“Thank you so much to Beach Radio,” she said.


Porter hasn’t made any plans yet for a road trip in her new whip, but she does have at least one idea for its first outing.

“Maybe we’ll have to go for a little tour through Kinistino tonight,” she said.

The car started out as a red Mini Cooper with a white roof. Westview Steering & Brake purchased the vehicle from a man in Edmonton who had been using it as a summer vehicle.

Despite being a 2008 model, the car was in great condition and had relatively low mileage.

It was then given a makeover for the contest, including a new cosmic purple paint job, tinted rear windows and a black roof.

The upgrades didn’t stop there.

The grand prize includes an upgraded sound system, remote starter, WeatherTech floor mats, seat covers and a brand new windshield.

Porter also gets a collection of prizes designed for summer, including a Traeger BBQ, a $500 meat pack, a Yeti cooler and an inflatable paddleboard.

The contest wrapped up Saturday with 101 randomly selected finalists taking turns drawing keys from a bag. The winner was the person who found the key that opened the box containing the Summer Free Ride car keys.
The contest wrapped up Saturday with 101 randomly selected finalists taking turns drawing keys from a bag. The winner was the person who found the key that opened the box containing the Summer Free Ride car keys. (Image Credit: paNOW)

Pattison Media Retail Sales Supervisor Jocelyn Bovay said the Summer Free Ride contest attracted plenty of attention this year, with Beach Radio making 77 stops at businesses and community events over three months.

The contest generated approximately 13,000 entries.

“It’s the perfect sporty, summer car to cruise around in, which I think made it such a hit this year,” Bovay said.

Bovay said the contest would not have been possible without the businesses that contributed to the vehicle and prize package.

Beach Radio has already started planning for next year’s contest, with ideas in the works to make the 2027 version even bigger.

For now, listeners can enter Beach Radio’s $25K Giveaway, which offers a chance to win a shopping spree at participating local sponsors. Entries are available through the Beach Radio website.

Summer Free Ride sponsors

Beach Radio thanked the following businesses for helping make this year’s Summer Free Ride possible:

And with the Mini Cooper now headed to Kinistino, Porter can officially start planning those summer cruises.

panews@pattisonmedia.com