Each year, car wash organizations contribute countless hours and dollars to the communities they serve. We want to make sure we’re capturing those stories and highlighting that impact, so in every issue of CAR WASH Magazine we’ll be shedding light on some of these good deeds. 

Share Your Good Deeds
Let us know what causes are important to you and how you are making a difference in your community in 2025.
www.carwash.org/community 

Scenic Suds Car Wash Express
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center, Scenic Suds Car Wash Express (pictured below) held a fundraiser that brought in more than $22,000, with over $7,800 coming from direct donations from its customers. 

“We are overwhelmed by the support of our customers, and local community, for the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center,” said Mike Moon, managing partner. For Moon, there is a personal side too. “My mother, Anne Moon, was in treatment at MEL Breast Center 20 years ago,” he said. “Plus, we have friends who have recently completed treatment, and are now cancer free, and a close friend currently in treatment.” 

Scenic Suds has an entire “Go Pink” month at all of its 10 locations, which are located in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia areas. “Along with all of our advertising for the month, we use pink soaps and our team members wear pink shirts and hats all month,” Moon said.

“Breast cancer touches all of us, and we hope these donations will, in some small way, have a positive effect in someone’s life in our local community,” Moon said, adding that 100% of every dollar raised stays in the community. “Being a locally owned and operated business, it is extremely important to Scenic Suds that our customers’ donations remain in Chattanooga and surrounding areas,” he said. 

Moon and his business partner, Barry Payne, have been involved in volunteering in their local community for decades and organize two big fundraisers each year, with the other being for the Renew Program at Calvary Chapel. “We are blessed to be a part of helping people transition back into the workforce by being a bridge back to their given professions,” Moon said. “Some have stayed with Scenic Suds and grown with us to become members of our leadership team.”

They are adding a third one in 2025, as well, that also runs close to the heart. “We will be doing our inaugural fundraiser for cystic fibrosis in May 2025,” Moon said, whose son Griffin also works at Scenic Suds in operations. “It’s an incurable lung disease that my 2-year-old grandson unfortunately has.” 

“We choose charities that have special meaning to us and have a local impact,” Moon said. “It is important to us to be involved in our community.”

Flash Car Wash
At Flash Car Wash, supporting and showing appreciation for veterans and active service military has always been a priority. “We’ve always given veterans and active military free car washes on Veterans Day as a small thank you for their service,” said Vin Porzio, owner of Flash Car Washes, which also has a number of veterans on its team. Two years ago, they decided to take it a step further. “We decided we wanted to do more to give back to those who have served,” he said.

After looking into several organizations, they decided to partner with Veterans Inc. “because it provides essential services for veterans in all of the markets we work in,” Porzio said. So, in addition to giving veterans a top-level Diamond Wash free on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, they decided to donate the proceeds of all retail washes on Veterans Day to Veterans Inc. They held this fundraiser at all 19 locations, which are located across Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

Flash Car Wash

In 2023, Flash Car Wash provided 1,067 veterans and active service members with complimentary Diamond Washes across all their locations and donated $43,879 to Veterans Inc. In 2024, Flash Car Wash was proud to surpass those milestones, providing nearly 1,300 complimentary washes and donating $48,091 to Veterans Inc. through proceeds from paid retail washes. 

“For two years in a row now, our customers have shown up to support local veterans and the great work Veterans Inc. does for them, allowing us to donate over $91,000, to date,” Porzio said.  

“This incredible organization goes beyond advocacy by providing essential services like housing, mental health support, job training, and job placement assistance. Veterans Inc. embodies the same values of service and compassion that Balise Auto Group has upheld for over a century, and we are honored to support their vital mission of making a meaningful difference in the lives of our nation’s heroes,” said Ben Sullivan, chief operating officer at Balise. “For over 100 years, the Balise family has been deeply committed to supporting the communities that they serve.” 

G&G Industrial Lighting

G&G Industrial Lighting
No better way to kickstart the new year than by giving back to your community. G&G Industrial Lighting hit the ground in 2025 by taking part in two big community initiatives by mid-January.

A group of 10 G&G team members volunteered their time by serving at the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York the first week of January. Then, in mid-January a team of 11 helped out at the Ronald McDonald House by cooking two meals for the families staying there.

The Ronald McDonald House and the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York are two of G&G’s most successful and rewarding community connections, said G&G’s HR business partner, Danielle Godin.

“It is important for us to support our local communities through volunteering, as that helps address societal challenges and strengthens the environment in which G&G operates,” Godin said. “Thriving communities provide a better foundation for both personal and professional growth, benefiting your business in the long run.”

Plus, it isn’t just a one-sided benefit. These outreaches help support the culture and well-being of the G&G team, as well. “Providing opportunities for team members to give back to the community can enhance job satisfaction and foster a sense of purpose. Employees who feel their work contributes to the greater good are often more motivated, loyal and engaged,” Godin said.

Each of these outreaches has had a positive impact on our team members’ lives, too, Godin said. “So every charity that is chosen holds a special place in one or more of our team members’ hearts.”

Some, such as The Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York, have made direct and meaningful differences in the lives of some of G&G's own team members. With the Regional Food Bank providing vital support to about 350,000 individuals each month, G&G's partnership with this non-profit is especially significant, especially during challenging times.