Soapy Joe’s hosted its annual Soapy Joe’s Day on Thursday, April 21, offering the entire San Diego community free car washes and the chance to support three local charities. A running tradition in its seventh year, the third Thursday of April has been dubbed Soapy Joe’s Day, as proclaimed by sitting mayors starting in 2016 with Faulkner, to Gloria in 2021 and this year presented by Councilmember Raul A. Campillo.
Each year, the car wash celebrates its eco-friendly practices, provides free top-of-the-line washes to the community and selects a local charity to receive a donation. This year, the participating charities represent a range of interests and are: Helen Woodward Animal Center, Support the Enlisted Project (STEP) and The Emilio Nares Foundation.
“Soapy Joe’s Day is something our team looks forward to each and every year,” said Lorens Attisha, founder and CEO of Soapy Joe’s. “We always say we love our communities, and this year, we want to directly reflect their preferences on where our charitable contributions are going. It’s a great way to give a voice to our members and those enjoying the free wash on Soapy Joe’s Day.”
The family-owned car wash company has committed to a total donation of $15,000 in commemoration of Soapy Joe’s Day. This donation was split in three parts — the organization that got the most community votes received $10,000, and the runners up received $2,500 each.
Building community is intrinsic to Soapy Joe’s, which has proudly supported San Diego over the past 11 years by donating more than 100,000 free washes and 2 million dollars in cash donations to date. This year, Soapy Joe’s has carefully selected a number of charities that support local children, the military community and animals, each close to the Soapy Joe’s team’s heart. The three charities include the Emilio Nares Foundation, the non-profit that provides free transportation for low income children battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases to get to and from their medical appointments; STEP (Support the Enlisted Project), to help build financial self-sufficiency among junior active duty enlisted members and recently discharged enlisted Veterans and their families facing financial crisis through counseling, education and grants; and the Helen Woodward Animal Center, local San Diego non-profit where ‘people help animals and animals help people.’
Soapy Joe’s Day is open to the San Diego community and is completely free of charge. The free $20 Magic Joe washes began at 7 a.m. and ended at 9 p.m.
“We love being involved in our communities, and this is a great way to engage directly with our fans,” said Anne Mauler, vice president of marketing at Soapy Joe’s, prior to the event. “We anticipate a strong event for 2022 and hope to get as many people involved in our big day as possible.”
Soapy Joe’s is a locally owned family business with multiple locations serving San Diego County. Soapy Joe’s prides itself in its commitment to the environment, using advanced water reclamation systems, and earning the International Carwash Associations WaterSavers designation. Over the past 11 years Soapy Joe’s has donated nearly 100,000 free washes, benefiting communities such as veterans, healthcare workers, schools, hospitals, firefighters and more.
