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On September 16, 2006, under the auspices of the first-ever Wash for Life, defenders of the unborn from coast to coast drove to school and churchyard car washes to benefit a host of pro-life organizations. The brain-child of 2006 Thomas Aquinas College graduate Jonathan Tonkowich, with help from a core group of fellow Thomas Aquinas College alumni and students, the first Wash for Life was a positive way for young people to demonstrate their support for the unborn. Though its pedigree could be traced to the more typical fundraiser most of us are familiar with, Wash for Life, by its nature, was markedly different. What started out as a solitary idea contemplated by a single graduate of Thomas Aquinas College, over time grew into a national movement that attracted widespread media attention, as well as endorsements from the likes of Catholic author Michael Novak. Wash for Life proved on September 16th it was capable of achieving its twin purposes-—to raise awareness of the destructive nature of abortion, and to raise money for women in need at crisis pregnancy centers. With the participation of nearly 3,000 volunteers, Wash for Life raised over $80,000 for various pro-life organizations in a single day. Moreover,100% of the funds generated went to the local pregnancy care centers that sponsored the individual Wash for Life events. In a show of ecumenical cooperation, Catholic and protestant youth groups and parish organizations helped support this effort that grew to include 41 states and 198 separate car washes. The Linary Church of Christ in Crossville, Tennessee, raised the most money, an impressive $6,454, while the St. Francis Assisi CYO of Wichita, Kansas, laid claim to washing the most cars at 131, and the 8th grade class of St. Mary’s school in Alexandria, Virginia, mustered the largest contingent of car washing volunteers at 61. Comments from participants as well as results of the multiple events from that day are posted at www.washforlife.org. Also included are anecdotal accounts like the following from Thomas Aquinas College graduate Bernadette Morey (’06), an organizer of a Wash for Life event in Mercer Island, Washington. “One woman drove almost an hour just to get to our car wash, and she had her cute two-year-old, red-haired grandson Dominic with her. She told us that the pro-life group we were supporting saved her grandson. Her daughter came to her pregnant and asked what to do. She decided to keep the baby thanks to the work of that pro-life organization. While we were washing her car, the grandmother was saying a Rosary for us, and after she wrote a check, little Dominic himself handed it to us.” Toward the conclusion of his encyclical Deus Caritas Est, Pope Benedict XVI speaks on the nature of service to others. “It is God who governs the world, not we. We offer him our service only to the extent that we can, and for as long as He grants us the strength. To do all we can with what strength we have, however, is the task which keeps the good servant of Jesus Christ always at work.” The Thomas Aquinas College graduates and students who orchestrated the first annual Wash for Life have taken the Holy Father’s words to heart in their service to Christ and the unborn, for they are already planning even greater success next year.
-- Qtrly Newsletter, Fall 2006 |
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