Proceeds from pledges to fund June youth missions trip
By Kevin Spradlin
PeeDeePost.com
ROCKINGHAM — According to the latest weather forecast, there seems to be at least two more hours available to get your vehicle washed at First United Methodist Church in downtown Rockingham — at no cost to you.
Members of the church’s youth missions group are washing and rinsing a line of vehicles today between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Proceeds from the event help fund the group’s missions trip to Hinton Rural Life Center in Hayesville. Between June 29 and July 25, 18 members will help the less fortunate build handicapped-accessible ramps or other amenities, paint bathrooms, tear down storage sheds or complete other tasks that are unable to be done by the poor or elderly.
But the car washes already are paid for, thanks to the pledges that members of the group garnered prior to the car wash. Parent Mike Griffith explained that the car washes are free to vehicle owners but each child could get pledges of, for example, 20 cents per car. If the expected 90-plus vehicles get washed today, that’d be a minimum of $18. Multiply that by each of the 18 members’ pledges, the group could realize more than $300 for five hours’ labor.
“If you do it correctly, you could make a lot more many” than by charging individual drivers, said Griffith at about 10:15 a.m. as dark clouds on the horizon threatened to put a damper on the day’s activity. “Every car counts.”
Of course, donations are accepted from drivers as well.
Mary Griffith, youth director at First United Methodist Church, said it’s the third year the children will go to Hinton Rural Life Center and fifth year for the missions trip overall. Griffith emphasized that the youth group also is committed to completing tasks, including yard work for the handicapped or elderly, right here in Richmond County.
In addition to the car wash, Jordan Eubanks, 18, and her grandmother banked a variety of goodies to be sold — many cookies and cupcakes for about 25 cents apiece. Proceeds from the sale also benefit the youth missions trip.
“All these youth know how expensive it is for (their parents) to send them,” Griffith said. “We’ve got four children … these fundraisers helped us” when their children, including two who have aged out of the youth program, were involved in youth missions.
First United Methodist Church is located at 401 E. Washington St. in downtown Rockingham.
Discussion