Coming Together During COVID-19

Strength In Numbers

Nick Lopez always knows when blood-donation centers in the San Antonio area are really in need. His wife, Carrie, has Type O-positive blood, which is one of the first types to run out during an emergency because it’s in such high demand for transfusions, according to the American Red Cross. When blood-donation centers call his wife one right after another encouraging her to donate, he knows supplies are running low.

With the nation coming together this spring to battle the coronavirus pandemic, Lopez was motivated to take action to keep those supplies from dipping. The president of Bubble Bath Car Wash, with five locations around San Antonio, decided to organize a blood drive. And in a show of industry solidarity, he encouraged his competitors to get involved, too.

The result was an overwhelming success, with six other car wash companies — Pirate’s Cove, Rapid Express, Super Sudz, Zips Express, WaterWorks and Scrub-A-Doo — participating in the “Drive 4 Life.” Throughout April, anyone who donated blood (or tried to) at the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center received a voucher for a free car wash good at the approximately 30 participating locations, regardless of whether the donation was accepted or rejected.

All told, the blood-donation center handed out more than 9,000 vouchers, representing
a robust response from the community.

In organizing the blood drive, Lopez’s message to his competitors was simple: “I said, ‘I’m doing this blood drive — do it with me. Instead of us, as usual, trying to compete against one another, at a time like this, let’s stand together and say we’re going to help the community.’ Every single one of them said yes, and it came together in like four days.”

The Drive 4 Life was met with praise and gratitude by Elizabeth Waltman, Chief Operating Officer of the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, who said the depleted local blood supply could have led to a secondary health crisis to go along with COVID-19.

“Efforts such as Drive 4 Life are critical to keeping our community healthy and safe throughout COVID-19 and beyond,” she said. “I applaud these businesses for finding strength in unity and for making such a large gesture at a time when small businesses, as well as all of us, are feeling the overwhelming impacts and economic implications of these times.”

The Drive 4 Life is just one example of car wash operators stepping up to aid their communities during the coronavirus pandemic. From large chains to mom-and-pop outfits, car washes across the country are making it a point to get involved and to stand out by putting their best foot forward.

Thousands Of Free Washes

For car wash operators looking to give back, the simplest option is to stick with what they do best — cleaning cars. Fins Car Wash, a division of AAA Carolinas with five locations in North and South Carolina, did that in a big way, giving away $69,480 worth of washes to health care workers and first responders. From March 30 to May 8, those essential workers just had to flash their credentials at the gate to get a free “top wash” package, normally valued at $18.

Laura Geraci, Marketing Manager for Fins, said the program initially was scheduled to last only a few weeks, but when more essential workers began taking advantage of it each week, the company decided to extend it.

“We wanted to do something to give back to those who had to be on the road and were on the front lines of the pandemic,” Geraci said.

Likewise, Soapy Joe’s Car Wash, with a dozen locations in the greater San Diego area, gave away 7,000 car washes to health care workers and first responders over a three-week period starting April 15.

“The nurses, doctors, health care workers and first responders taking care of San Diego are our neighbors, and we want to do our part to recognize their sacrifices,” said Soapy Joe’s CEO Lorens Attisha.

The company also ran a promotion in May called Soapy Gives $100 to 100 Members. This $10,000 investment was to support both members and local businesses. Four active members of its unlimited-wash clubs were randomly selected each day to receive $100 in gift cards.

Water Works Car Wash and Detail Center owner Jim Spinato estimates that he gave out several thousand free washes at his three locations in Colorado Springs, Colo., from April 24-26. And his definition of an essential worker is broader than most.

“It’s not only the health care workers, but it’s the truckers and the electricians, and the military, and the police officers, and the Grubhub delivery people and the fast-food people,” Spinato said. “We just wanted to give a little something back to the community. We didn’t require identification or anything of that nature; we just washed every car that came in. It’s cost us a lot of money, but we’ve been here 40 years, and we can handle it.”

Spinato said Water Works had been closed for about a month before it began offering free washes, and the public rallied around his workers during the weekend promotion, giving them large tips and even a few $100 bills.

“It was absolutely amazing to see,” Spinato said.

Getting Serious About Sanitation

For health care workers and first responders, one of the worst things about the pandemic is that every work shift represents an opportunity for COVID-19 to follow them home and infect their families. In response, Charlotte, N.C.-based Autobell Car Wash Inc. provided free interior disinfectant services for more than 200,000 vehicles driven by essential workers from early March through mid-May. The program is ongoing at Autobell’s 87 locations in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and Virginia.

Owner Chuck Howard said the company had been developing its interior disinfectant service since last fall, with the idea of adding it as a premium service. When the pandemic struck, Autobell rolled it out, and medical workers and first responders were quick to utilize it.

Autobell uses a hospital-grade disinfectant that meets the Environmental Protection Agency’s criteria for combating COVID-19, Howard said. The disinfectant is applied to empty cars using a fogging technique, followed by a one-minute activation period with car doors and windows closed.

“It’s a small thing we could do to help the folks who are dealing with potentially infected individuals,” Howard said. “At the time we started, most of them didn’t have any way to disinfect their vehicles. At best, they had rubber gloves, a mask and some wet wipes. So they were very excited and thankful to be able to disinfect the entire cabin area of their vehicles.”

In March, ScrubaDub Auto Wash Centers, with 19 locations across New England, began providing free antiviral disinfectant wipes for the vehicles of first responders and medical personnel. After researching how to make the SaniSafe wipes, the company worked to obtain an effective disinfectant through a chemical supplier and began production on its own.

Mathew Paisner, ScrubaDub’s Director of Business Development, said the company had provided enough wipes to sanitize hundreds of vehicles through mid-May. “We’ll do it as long as we can, while supplies last, to ensure that customers can clean and disinfect any high-touch areas in their vehicles,” said Paisner, the fourth member of his family to be president of the New England Car Wash Association.

ScrubaDub also has begun providing complimentary interior-disinfectant fogging services for all customers who purchase any interior service.

“We want our customers and employees to feel safe,” Paisner said. “It’s not appropriate to provide any type of interior cleaning without disinfecting the interior before the employee gets inside the car.”

Supporting Hard-Hit Restaurants

It’s no secret that it’s a brutal time for the restaurant industry. The pandemic has battered and bruised eating and drinking establishments nationwide, with 5.5 million jobs lost in April alone, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The damage started in March, when restaurants and bars cut payrolls by almost 500,000, according to the BLS.

Sales at U.S. restaurants and bars totaled just $32.4 billion in April, plunging from $65.4 billion in February, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Adjusted for inflation, April’s figure was the smallest monthly total for the restaurant industry since October 1984, according to the National Restaurant Association.

In Texas, Racer Classic Car Wash was quick to respond, buying 35,000 gift cards worth $5 each to local restaurants and handing them out to every customer at its seven locations in Lubbock and two locations in Amarillo. Andrew Zamora, president of the Lubbock-based car wash chain, said handouts began in late March and lasted more than three weeks.

“We figured that by giving them away in $5 increments, it would drive people to go to restaurants, but they would still spend cash with them,” Zamora said. “I recently had lunch at one of the restaurants, and they said they had a great return on them.”

Champion Xpress Car Wash, with nine locations in New Mexico and Utah, focused on locally owned restaurants in each of its markets, handing out 6,000 gift cards worth $10 each on March 28. In addition, the company donated the proceeds from the day’s washes to local first responders and their families.

“It’s an effort to stimulate the local economy a little bit and encourage community members to do the same — to remind them that times are tough for everyone, but if possible, get out and support your local businesses because they need it,” said Lindsey Joy, President of Marketing for Champion Xpress. “It’s been really neat to see the response from those local business owners. They have been just eternally grateful.”

Similarly, Soapy Joe’s ran its “Soapy Gives” program from May 7 to June 1, with four active members of its unlimited-wash clubs being randomly selected each day to receive $100 in gift cards. There were 100 winning members in total, each receiving three $25 gift cards to local restaurants and a $25 gas card. Members of the top-tier wash club also were entered into a drawing for a free one-year club membership.

Shine Factory Car Wash in Greenville, N.C., took a different approach to aiding restaurants, giving free washes to any customer presenting a receipt from a local eatery dated that same day. To fill even more bellies, the company gave half of all proceeds from car wash sales to help feed children in local schools.
Q Car Wash in Fort Worth, Texas, did something similar during its company-wide “Support Local Business Week,” April 27-30. They gave away free car washes to customers who showed a take-out bag and/or receipt from a local restaurant. In addition, they donated $3 to the Tarrant Area Food Bank for every car that went through its wash those four days.

“As local businesses, organizations, and even entire industries across the region suffer dramatic closures and losses because of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever for our local community to band together to lend a helping hand to those in need during this great time of uncertainty,” said Viran Nana, Owner and CEO of Q Car Wash. “Providing free car washes, encouraging customers to support local restaurants, and donating cash to our local food bank will certainly not solve the larger issue at hand, but it will hopefully inspire others to support local business and do what they can to give back to the community.”

Random Quacks Of Kindness

Travis Kimball, Chief Marketing Officer and Partner at Roseville, Calif.-based Quick Quack Car Wash, said the company provided 2,500 free car washes to health care professionals March 27-31, with about 80 locations participating across California, Texas, Utah and Arizona. But to thank teachers and boost the spirits of those directly impacted by the pandemic, the company sought input from its customers through its “Random Quacks of Kindness” program.

In late March, the company posted a form on its website allowing visitors to nominate a frontline medical worker or a neighbor having a hard time during the pandemic. About a dozen nominees would be chosen to receive a gift bag containing yummy food items, games, puzzles and flowers. After promoting the giveaway on social media, Quick Quack was surprised to receive about 500 nominations, but that was nothing compared with what came next.

In early May, Quick Quack posted another online form where students and their parents could nominate teachers to receive one year’s worth of free car washes. The promotion was held in conjunction with National Teacher Appreciation Day on May 5. The response was strong, with more about 10,000 teachers nominated.

“We were shocked at the quantity that came in, recognizing teachers and their efforts during all this distance learning to stay in touch with their students and go the extra mile,” Kimball said. “It was incredible. We selected one winner in each of the regions where we operate.”

Paying Zoo’s Grocery Bills

With the pandemic causing so much human suffering, it’s easy to forget that animals have been impacted too. COVID-19 forced zoos across the country to close, depriving them of the admission fees and concession sales they need to feed their animals. But thanks to Loveland, Ohio-based Mike’s Carwash, animals at several zoos in the Midwest didn’t have to skip a meal.

From May 8-10, Mike’s Carwash raised $12,180 for the Cincinnati Zoo and the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo in Indiana. The company lowered the price of its $20 “ultimate” wash package to $15, with a dollar from every sale going to the zoos. In addition, donation buckets were placed at all 26 locations to give customers another way to contribute.

“We’re grateful to our loyal customers for coming out to support their zoos,” said Mike Dahm, President of Mike’s Carwash. “Without patrons because of COVID-19, the zoos are struggling to feed the hundreds of species in their care. We’re thrilled that we could offset some of their costs through our fundraising event.”

Discounting its most popular wash has been a proven fundraising tool for Mike’s Carwash, which held a similar event March 13-15 that generated $11,020 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Joe Dahm, who helps his father run the car wash company, said that particular charity resonated with Mike’s Carwash because an employee’s sister has cystic fibrosis.

“We try to do this [fundraising] format whenever we can for a good cause,” Joe Dahm said. “We feel really good about doing it.”