"Explorers versus Dirty Cars"

The Explorers Club is a service club for 6-8th grade boys in Chamberlain (SD) school and St. Joseph's Indian School. The club is not affiliated with either school but receives great support and encouragement from both!

This Saturday is the 13th Annual "Explorers vs. Dirty Cars" car wash. This event is a "wash-a-thon" whereby the Explorers secure pledges for each car washed during the six-hour car wash. So over the past two weeks, the 27 members of the Explorers Club have been pounding the pavement around town (and calling family members!) asking for pledges.

Each member has a goal of at least $1.00 in pledges. Some people prefer to make a donation and the group certainly appreciates that support but it is donations that really drive this event. They hope to have at least $30.00 per vehicle washed pledged by the time the car wash starts on Saturday.

The Explorers have washed as few as 69 vehicles (the first year) and as many as 142 vehicles (large group, nice day) during this event. They have washed 1,070 over the first twelve car washes (it seems like we've washed so many more than that!). But regardless of how many cars are washed, it will be a wild six hours at Harry K Chevrolet-Buick on Saturday.

The project is a very good one for these guys in many ways. The money that they raise ($4,000-6,000) will go to the City of Chamberlain to help pay for new playground equipment at the American Creek Day Use area - a park used by many people in our community and many visitors. The equipment will enhance the park in a great way.

In addition to a great cause, they also learn about planning, execution, salesmanship, leadership, teamwork and hard work. Some learn about these more directly than others.

We rely on the 8th graders for leadership. Since, for most of them, it is their third car wash, they know what needs to be done and how to do it. At this point in their 8th grade year, they are mature, young leaders and the task suits them well.

I like to say that adolescent boys will do some mighty miserable tasks - as long as they can do it with their friends. I will bring my DJ equipment and play some tunes and I can bark out orders over the PA system. We try to make it as fun as possible. But standing on the concrete washing cars for six hours is work at any age!

The boys work in shifts. The 8th graders will work all day. The 7th graders will work just half a day and the 6th graders will each works two hours. The 8th graders get lunch since they are there for the day.

One of the great challenges of the car wash is that they don't rush the job and that they keep the "quality control" up to an acceptable level. Since they all know that they make more money when they wash more vehicles, they start to hurry when the vehicles start to line up outside.

Sometimes we have to run a car back through the process and wash it again. Sometimes a car makes it out of the wash with a poor wash job. A poor wash job is like a temporary tattoo - everyone notices it. Nobody notices a dirty car since most exist in that state. But a car that has swirl marks or has dirt remaining on one body panel is noticed by all.

We talk about proper wash technique in our final Explorers meeting before the car wash but, when the cars pile up outside, they get in a hurry and deliver a few "tattoos".

Parents and teachers have been so generous and supportive through the years. Most have their whole fleet washed and vacuumed during the car wash. One year, the guys cleaned 95 cars despite the fact that it rained outside the entire time they were washing cars. Most of those vehicles belonged to parents and teachers.

The Chamberlain-Oacoma community has been very supportive through the years too. Most people recognize that this is the Explorers' big fundraising event of the year and that the money flows back to the community. I think people like to see adolescent boys working hard together on a project that serves someone else.

The list of projects that the Explorers have supported with their car wash includes: the original construction of the fields at Explorers Field; scoreboard at those fields;  trees and a picnic shelter and playground equipment at Explorers Field; the soccer field, the fishing pier at American Creek Park; new swimming pool slides; lights at Explorers Field;  fence around soccer field, new poles at the Avenue of Flags Park; and last year's donation to the community's Veteran's Park.

That is a pretty impressive list by any measurement. The Explorers have created a great tradition and legacy over the past 13 years and the "Explorers vs. Dirty Cars" car wash is just one part of it.

So if you car is dirty (or even if it isn't), bring it to Harry K Chevrolet-Buick on Saturday between 9:00 am - 3:00 pm for a wash and vacuum. It won't cost you anything and it will help raise about $30 for the playground equipment!!