Upsala Firefighter Wins Free Subaru Crosstrek at Shields & Stars Event in Waite Park

(KNSI) – An Upsala first responder is getting a brand-new set of wheels after his name was drawn Friday night at the Public Safety Foundation’s Shields & Stars Celebration in Waite Park.

Garrett Doucette, who serves with Upsala Fire and Upsala First Response, won a 2026 Subaru Crosstrek donated by St. Cloud Subaru. St. Cloud Subaru General Manager Bobby Konnight says the giveaway was meant as a way to thank everyone who answers the call in central Minnesota.

“The car is for one person, the thanks for everyone, I say that. And when the community needs them, they show up and we just want to show up for them one time and show them our appreciation.”

Any active or retired first responder who registered for the event was eligible, and more than 300 guests signed up. To build suspense, three names were drawn and each person got an envelope. Doucette’s envelope held the car, while Chad Klocker of the Avon Police Department and Jacob Galvin of the Sauk Rapids Police Department each took home $1,000. Galvin was also one of this year’s award nominees.

The Crosstrek carries a sticker price of around $32,500, and the dealership is also covering taxes and license fees, which Konnight estimates could add another $2,500. The dealership has partnered with the Public Safety Foundation for four years.

Konnight told KNSI News the night wasn’t about selling cars.

“It’s about, you know, recognizing these first responders who get up every morning and they have a job to do. And it’s a job that not everybody wants to do. But they do it and we want to support them.”

The fifth annual celebration also honored this year’s Shields & Stars Public Safety Award winners, including Firefighter of the Year Amy Inglett of Kimball Fire & Rescue, Public Safety Officer of the Year Sergeant Katie Dusing of the Benton County Sheriff’s Office and EMS Provider of the Year Steve Stang of CentraCare EMS. The Stearns County Jail Coordinated Care Team was named Public Safety Team of the Year, and Mark Pappenfus of the Foley Fire Department and Shawn Vierzba of Saint John’s University Life Safety Services received lifetime achievement honors.

The Public Safety Foundation was founded in 2015 and supports fire, law enforcement, EMS and community safety programs across central Minnesota.

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