Some 60 carwashes teamed up to turn washes into wishes on August 18, according to Kim Smith, Director, External Events for the Make-AWish Foundation® of Connecticut, Inc. The one-day fundraiser to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Connecticut was spearheaded by the Connecticut Carwash Association (CCA). “It was incredible,” recounts Smith. “The energy was there and thepeople were engaged. It was truly a fun day.”
Thanks to the efforts of Smith and her Community Outreach Coordinator Meghan Lobdell, participating washes across the state were able to garner some additional volume and press coverage on event day, in addition to helping out some deserving kids. “We were able to get participation and media coverage from radio, television and print from Greenwich to Tolland to Old Saybrook to Bridgeport to Hartford to Norwich to Stamford to Litchfield,” said LobdellIt really was amazing how much we were able to accomplish our first year out. We are very thankful to all participating carwash operators and the CCA for their support and efforts.”
To encourage consumers to stop in at participating washes Lobdell listed them on the chapter’s website that was marketed to the public, www.ct.wish.org.
Each participating operator determines how much he or she will donate to the effort. It would be a per car donation or a flat sum. Golden Nozzle Operations Manager, Scott Goodreau, contributed $500 to this year’s fundraiser. Goodreau, who operates washes in Massachusetts and Connecticut believes in the cause and what the association is hoping to accomplish through participating in it. “When we began participating in WashUSA it was clear that this effort would help raise awareness of what we do as professional carwashers and help these kids out,” said Goodreau. “We still feel that way and hope to see the fundraiser grow each year now on a state level.”
The one-day fundraiser is patterned after the successful WashUSA effort which ran from 2001 through 2006 and raised more than $800,000 for Make-A-Wish. The 2008 effort is slated for Saturday, August 16 with a rain date of August 23.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Connecticut grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. The chapter has granted more than 1,500 wishes since its formation in 1986. You can learn more about them by visiting www.ct.wish.org. For more information about the Connecticut Carwash Association visit them at www.wewashctcars.com.
