Amid songs, dance, and lots of elbow grease, the Fort Christian parking lot saw what’s got to be its most unusual, not to say spirited, event Saturday – a Singing Carwash as performed by 17 Danish students.
In a tip of the hat to American songwriter Bobby McFerrin, the young car washers serenaded their customers:
"You got a car, it should look fine
Hand it in, we’ll make it shine
Don’t worry – get Carwash!
"It only cost you $10 flat
We wash your car and sing for that
So, don’t worry – get Carwash."
Now, how could anyone resist that plea?
The Carwash was the brainstorm of 17 students of the Danish Traveling School. Instructor Claus Marquart said the students dreamed up the idea, part of their project management training, as a fundraiser for Kidscope, a not-for-profit child-advocacy center that serves families from St. Thomas and St. John.
Marquart is co-owner of Hojskolendk, a private company that runs the traveling school that has been making regular trips to the territory since 2010. He says the students learn through one- to three-month seminars where they work with local groups, learning team-building and project management.
"We had lots of ideas," Student Sabine Jensen said. "Once we decided, we divided up into four teams – refreshments, entertainment, car washing and public relations."
The teams did well. Very organized under their obvious exuberance, they went to work. Several of the young people, bearing perfectly lettered cardboard signs, stationed themselves at strategic points in the large parking lot to guide folks to the area, while others clambered over the cars, scrubbing, rubbing, waxing, and others sold $3 squares of Danish cake they had made, all of them taking time now and then to assemble for a song or dance.
As the sunny morning progressed, the group gathered a growing audience. Bernice Turnbull, after instructing the youngsters not to use too much soap, invited the group to explore the St. Thomas Historical Trust Museum, where she is a board member.
"You can get some local history while you are here," she said.
Dilsa Capdeville, founder and executive director of Kidscope, was busy helping with the project.
"It’s wonderful. We are so appreciative," she said before departing on a pizza run. "The youngsters are so passionate about this."
"Our new senator Myron Jackson’s office donated the tent and tables for the day along with the brushes and buckets," Capdeville said. "The T-shirts were donated by Bolongo Bay, where they are staying, and they also let them use the kitchen to bake these cakes."
And, most importantly, she said, "Vincent Liburd, the parking lot manager, let us use the space, and donated the water. That’s really something because the lot is restricted in its use."
Later in the day, after five hours of fun-filled labor, Marquart called the project, "very good."
"One good thing is the process, and the other is the results. I’m very satisfied with both," he said. "And, we ended up gathering more than $1,000 for Kidscope."
He said the group is leaving for St. Croix soon, where they will spend a few weeks.
"We will focus on straight-up volunteer service there," he said. "We’ll visit some schools and help out at the Lawaetz Museum, which we’ve done before. They need bush cleaning because they don’t have the manpower."
Marquart said they will stay at the Ridge to Reef farm, which practices sustainable farming. And he said for the holidays, the group is looking forward to "building a mini-Danish Christmas dinner, for everybody."
