Drivers can get their cars cleaned for a good cause this Saturday at CARSTAR Newmarket's charity car wash in support of Cystic Fibrosis Canada.
Romena Deokinandan is one of the owners at the auto body shop, which as been in Newmarket since 2011. She said her and her family are excited to be holding the car wash event again after COVID-19 prevented it from happening in past years. Her son, Ryan, who is also part of the team there, agreed.
"We wanted to be extra big," he said. "We're going to be doing a barbecue, we're going to have a raffle. We'll be washing cars all day."
While it's the first charity car wash they're holding since the pandemic, they had three before then. It's also a long-running fundraising campaign at CARSTAR locations throughout North America, which have collectively raised almost $4 million for cystic fibrosis research over the years this initiative has been running. Each store can choose when to do their Soaps It Up car wash in support of the cause between the months of June and August.
"I'm really inspired by everything I've seen in the franchise so far. I'm very moved with the stories and seeing people who survive and who are living with it. It's very inspiring to help and show how we've grown from $0 to almost $5 million," Deokinandan said.
There is a sign about the campaign in the Newmarket CARSTAR location and she said past customers have seen it and shared their stories of how the disease affects them.
"They're like 'oh my god, my son has cystic fibrosis' and they connect with us that way," she said.
"That's when you realize that it's, you know, it makes the whole experience very real. It just really empowers us to continue to fight as a store," Ryan said.
On Saturday, July 30 bring their car to CARSTAR at 445 Harry Walker Parkway North and for a minimum donation of $5 you can get it washed. The event is drop-in style, no appointments necessary.
"We're going to make sure everybody leaves smiling. It's a happy event. We're a family and we make it a family fun day," Deokinandan said. "We're very excited."
The charity car wash runs from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 30.
