Palatine auto repair shop creates contest over huge pile of snow
PALATINE - You’ve heard the old expression "a snowball’s chance in hell."
Now, residents of northwest suburban Palatine are being invited to guess how long it will take for a giant mound of snow to finally melt away.
It’s an annual contest that will win somebody a nice cash prize.
"Twenty years ago we started making a little thing about it, have a little price for it and it’s been going really well every year," said Jim Stepp, co-owner of Advanced Automotive Repair in Palatine.
Stepp and his business partner Rod Knesper created the contest involving the giant snow pile across the street from their repair shop on Colfax.
So when will this snow mound melt away?
"The tip is it’s not going to be gone tomorrow," Knesper said.
Each year customers and employees guess the date the last winter snowflake will disappear.
They put their picks in a sealed brake rotor box, and whoever guesses the closest date wins $100 plus $500 for their favorite charity.
"We look out the window, we watch that pile until we can’t see it, and then we physically walk over there and inspect for it, right down to the last snowball," said Stepp. "If that’s there the game is still on."
"And it’s fun. It’s just, with the days and times of everything going on today, we need some fun."
All that snow comes from the top deck of a Village of Palatine parking garage. It’s dumped over the north side where it doesn’t get any sun.
At one point in February, the snow pile was three stories high.
"This year has been the most we’ve ever seen in the 20 years of being here," Knesper said.
They say the record for latest melt is middle of June. "I almost think it’s going to go to July 1st. I’m rooting for it to be July 1st," said Stepp.
Indeed with the cool weather Wednesday, the big pile is disappearing at just a tiny drip.
Has anyone ever tried to cheat?
"We’ve had a lot of threats. We’ve had guys walk around with bags of salt, saying we’re going to do something," said Stepp. "We say we’re watching you!"