More than 200 Stores in the U.S. and Canada to Wash Cars on June 20, 2009
to Help Those in Need and Earn Worldwide Bragging Rights
OVERLAND PARK, KS (May 6, 2009) – Calling all dirty cars across North America! CARSTAR is looking for cars – and their drivers – to help the company set the Guinness World Record for the largest car wash in history.
The Soaps It Up! Car Wash held across the U.S. and Canada on June 20, 2009 is a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis in Canada and the Make-A-Wish Foundation® in the U.S., as well as some local market charities. More than 200 CARSTAR stores throughout both countries are expected to participate in the one-day event. Tickets are being sold at participating CARSTAR stores for $10, with 100 percent of the ticket purchase benefiting the selected charities.
To set the Guinness World Record for “Most Cars Washed – Multiple Venues”, CARSTAR will need to wash more than 4,000 vehicles during an eight-hour period at all of the participating locations. Local scouting troops, charity volunteers and CARSTAR staff will be on hand to wash the vehicles as well as a Guinness World Records® official to validate the feat if successful.
“We want to help drivers across the United States and Canada get their cars ready for the summer driving season while giving back to the communities where our stores are located,” said Dick Cross, Chairman and CEO of CARSTAR. “We are hoping to set the Guinness World Record with our effort. Our stores probably wash more vehicles on a daily basis as they repair consumers’ cars than anyone else in North America, so we’d love to have bragging rights to the world record.”
CARSTAR is partnering with 3M Car Care, the leader in high-performance products for washing and waxing vehicles, to provide car wash soap, glass cleaner, tire cleaner and microfiber cloths for drying.
Courtney Hansen, 3M spokesperson and host of “Powerblock” on Spike TV, will be the national host for the “Soaps It Up!” Car Wash. She will be sharing her car care advice and providing support for the June 20th event.
“Everyone needs to get their car washed from time to time, so the “Soaps It Up!” Car Wash allows people to take care of this task, take care of children in need and help set a world record, all at the same time,” said Hansen. “I’m looking forward to helping get cars cleaned up across both countries and setting the new Guinness World Record.”
CARSTAR also is partnering with Hertz, to offer a free rental upgrade with every ticket purchase.
CARSTAR stores in Canada have been conducting the “Soaps It Up!” Car Wash for the past five years, but it is the first time the program has been done in the United States. It will be the first attempt for any organization to set the record for the largest car wash across multiple locations.
For more information on the “Soaps It Up!” Car Wash, visit www.CARSTAR.com. You can find participating CARSTAR locations, get more information on the program and track the progress toward the Guinness World Record on the day of the event.
About CARSTAR
CARSTAR is the largest group of branded collision repair centers in North America with over 400 locally owned and operated locations in 27 states and 10 Canadian provinces. CARSTAR is committed to providing consistent quality services to our customers and insurance partners and has repaired more than 2.5 million cars since it was founded in 1989. Our technicians and front office staff receive ongoing training to ensure they are qualified to work on any vehicle. Customer satisfaction is our number one priority as we consistently lead the industry in customer satisfaction ratings.
CARSTAR not only has the highest customer satisfaction rating in the industry, but it is also involved with the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. CARSTAR is involved with many charitable events at the local level to help raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, as well as having recreated a 1967 Super Snake Ford Mustang, the CARSTAR SuperStang. The SuperStang is touring the United States on the SuperStang Muscle Tour to help support the Make-A-Wish® cause. For more information, visit www.carstar.com.
About the Make-A-Wish Foundation
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group of caring volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation is now the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 65 chapters in the United States and its territories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-Wish Foundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 174,000 wishes in the United States since its inception. For more information about the Make-A-Wish Foundation, visit wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish®.