At the Car Wash

This is our first really nice week of weather in the great Pacific Northwest, and I had to get out and take my car to the car wash. It is squeaky clean now, and looks great! Given that nice weather is about to spring forth, it would be an excellent idea to combine a birthday party with a car-wash fundraiser! This is a particularly good idea if your kid is interested in having fun with his or her friends as well as giving back to a favorite charity. Since everyone has so much stuff these days, this idea may appeal to your kid and catch on with others.

If this interests you, here is how your car wash party can be organized:

• Have your kid decide what charity the donations will go to.
• Directly call and ask the charity about your plan and what they need. For example, if it is a favorite local library, do they need more books? If it is the humane society, do they need pet care items? Of course, they could always request monetary donations as well.
• In your invitation, explain the aim of the car wash. Ask the kids to bring an adult with a car to the party for washing. Instead of bringing a gift, have the parents pay for their car wash with items that the charity needs or a donation in whatever amount they would like to give.
• Also, ask the kids to dress appropriately for the car wash. They are going to get soapy and a bit wet.
• Set up in the driveway of your home and place “car wash” signs all over the front yard.
• Have the kids work together to wash the cars thoroughly and in quick time.
• Have a special place for the payments, such as a bucket for cash donations or a large box for items being donated. Decorate this container with the logo of the charity.
• If you want the adults to know a bit more about where their donations are going, provide a flyer with this information as the receipt for the car wash.
• After the car wash is done, the kids can play water games (if it is warm outside) with sprinklers, water balloons, etc.

Hopefully, this idea will catch on since everyone wins: The birthday kid has a fantastic charity in mind to support, the kids get to work together and have fun washing cars and playing water games afterwards, the adults feel good about their donations going to a worthy cause, and, ultimately, the organization benefits from the party. Everyone wins at this one, and it is really budget-friendly as well.