For the second Saturday in a row, a church youth group will be at the Transfer Station raising funds for a mission. This week, the group is from Pilgrim Church and will be holding a car wash.
From 8:00am – 2:00pm you can get your car cleaned after dumping your trash.
Proceeds will be added to the other money they have raised to fund their Senior High Youth group’s annual mission trip in July.
This year they head to Chicago. There are 11 chaperones and 46 9th – 12th graders going. Their theme for this year’s mission trip is “Keep Calm & Get Your God On!”
They have the choice to volunteer to work in either a Kids group at a church, a Painting Group working with an organization called Home going to homes of elderly community members to paint interior rooms (some have been on a waiting list for years), or a Building Group working in churches and with an organization that is affiliated with a church to help local low income families doing painting, patching dry wall, gardening, sorting items for donation, and cleaning.
So, looking for a perfect Father’s Day gift? Make it an early one. Take care of the household trash and wash Dad’s car. I’m guessing most men would prefer that to another tie!
(Photo posted to Flickr by Robert Couse-Baker)
An excerpt from the MA Stormwater Handbook
“Car Washing. This management measure involves educating the general public, businesses, municipal fleets (public works, school buses, fire, police, and parks) on the water quality impacts of the outdoor washing of automobiles and how to avoid allowing polluted runoff to enter the storm drain system. Outdoor car washing has the potential to result in high loads of nutrients, metals, and hydrocarbons during dry weather conditions in many watersheds, as the detergent-rich water used to wash the grime off our cars flows down streets and into storm drains. Commercial car wash facilities often recycle their water or are required to treat their wash-water discharge prior to release to the sanitary sewer system. As a result, most stormwater impacts from car washing are from residents, businesses, and charity car wash fundraisers that discharge polluted wash water to the storm drain system. ”
Who can we ask about how runoff from these car washes is handled at the transfer station. The Town is forcing the Gulbankians to meet stormwater requirements and yet our DPW keeps hosting charity carwashes that pump tons of pollutants into our waterways. The DPW is right next to a wetland area too! Is it possible, susan or beth, to look into whether or not the DPW is equipped to handle the runoff properly?
I am sure this is a great cause, as always, but there are better ways to achieve the same result like partnering with a local car wash that has the proper facilities to handle the runoff and pollutants. Also, a professional car wash uses a fraction of the water. Charity carwashes are both a waste of water and harmful to the environment. I would also like to know how much each of these “events” costs the Town.
Good luck PCYG today! It is a beautiful day for it and for a great cause!
Personally, I am tired of having to drive past group after group trying to get me to wash my car. It is dirty and I like it that way. Ditto the groups selling cookies etc. at the transfer station. I see this as being on the level of pan handlers bothering me on the streets of larger cities. I too would like to hear how the water and suds are being handles as well as who is footing the bill for any expenses involved. Instead, run a charity ball game and sell your baked goods and other items there.
Tired of It –
We live in a “community.” Bah Humbug!!!!!
Wow. The groups selling baked goods or Girl Scout cookies, candy bars or washing cars are school aged children trying to raise money for charities or to do charitable work. Every group receives permission from a DPW contact before setting up their table. Why not smile and say no thank you rather than begrudge them the opportunity to do some good in the world?
Tessa_
Thank you! Yikes!
Random thoughts and questions on this post –
– Its OK to sell baked goods at the TS but not cookies?
– How much less money would PCYG have to raise if they went to Springfield, MA instead of Chicago? I would think it is several thousand dollars.
– With all the car washes from the past having been done at the TS, one would think there would be no wild life in wet lands near by if all the “contaminated water down the storm drain” is to be believed.
I don’t mind the charities, cookies or car wash but I would think a simple water and clean up fee could be charged if folks are concerned about the loss of water. Can’t be more than $10 for each car wash…I’m sure there will be lots of discussion on how we can make almost $70 bucks a year charging the charities…
My real question is does the Transfer Station have sufficient drainage and hardscape to support the runoff? Perhaps the Gulbenkian’s could lease one those buildings at the TS…