On 10 October, Key Club volunteers hosted a car wash for teachers. A total of sixteen cars were washed, and all the proceeds went directly towards the Eliminate Project, supported by Kiwanis International and UNICEF. As a biannual event, car washes have become tradition for MGCI’s Key Club. The money will be used to purchase vaccines that immunize against Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus (MNT) – a disease that kills 60 000 babies a year. Children get infected by MNT when birthing conditions are unsanitary.
Approximately thirty volunteers were present to help wash cars, all eager to be a part of the international movement to fight the disease. Claire Kong, one of the volunteers, stated her interest in helping the community, “The car wash sounded very interesting. I’m being [an] active and good member of the community by doing this.”
Key Club volunteers wash cars to raise funds for the Eliminate Project. Photo: Fahmida Tanveer
Sedans were charged $7 each, and SUVs and Vans were $10. To put this into perspective, it costs three doses of a sixty cent vaccine to immunize a mother and her future children.
Hafsa Akhlaq, a Key Club member, felt that certain components of the car wash could have been improved. “Mostly everyone here doesn’t want to be sprayed with water because it’s really cold right now.”
As the car wash progressed, there were not enough clean washcloths. As a result, several volunteers had to wash some cars a second time. Other than this complication, the car wash ran smoothly.
Key Club meets every Thursday lunch in Room 329, and is open to new members.
