AAA celebrates 100 years serving Sandusky area

PERKINS TWP. — Motorists and their vehicles have changed significantly in the past century, but AAA has always been there to assist. The AAA (American Automobile Association,) on Milan Road across from the Sandusky Mall, celebrated 100 years in Erie County on Wednesday. Food and raffles were available at the office for members to celebrate."I'm all for AAA. My father had me join when I was kid, so I've always been a member," manager Robin Amezquita said. "AAA is a good advocate for safety and we are on quite a few boards."When the association was founded in 1902 in Chicago, automobiles were still a relatively new inventions and was created to help motorists find the roads suitable for vehicles, but it quickly shifted to also emphasize vehicle safety. The association arrived in Erie County in 1918.In that time, the association became a full-service travel agency in addition to the roadside assistance and safety tips it offers. The business has also modernized in the digital age and Amezquita has seen many of those changes in the 45 years she's been an employee."As soon as I got out of college I got a job here. I started at the bottom and worked my to the top," Amezquita said. "It has changed tremendously in the time I've been here … especially with the travel side. When I started we printed out airline tickets and now everything is computerized."When it moved from Sandusky, to its current location in Perkins Township 10 years ago, it became one of the first AAA offices to use an explorer store set up which allowed people to browse the maps and travel documents instead of keeping them all in the back."It's a location that a lot of people want to go to get information on travel, whether it's local, statewide, national or even international," Perkins Township trustee Tim Coleman said. "It's a great place to get that information, especially if you're a member because you get a special rate."Reach reporter Michael Harrington at michaelharrington@sanduskyregister.com, follow the Register at Facebook.com/SanduskyRegisterEmployees at the AAA office on Milan Road celebrated 100 years of business with the community Wednesday, Nov. 28. Left to right: Julie Phillips, Robin Amezquita, Caryn Roeser, Christy Miller and Traci Goetz