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H-F band car wash does bikes too

My bike hasn’t been washed since 2009.That’s when I got it,  and I didn’t wash it then, either, so I know it’s been at least that long since it has experienced soap. 

But on my way west on 183rd Street Saturday I came across the HF band fundraiser car wash. Michael Colton shouted as I went past, “We can wash your bike!”

I realize this is probably counter to generally accepted Good Biking Practices, but normally, I don’t believe in washing bikes. I think they need a strong coating of dirt and road grime to protect them from dirt and road grime. But it was an effective sales pitch, so I decided to make an exception, just to contribute to the cause. 

I’m glad I did. The band won’t be making another big trip this year like last year’s China adventure, but it still needs our support.

Dennis Matl, the band parent supervising the car wash, described some of the costs involved in even a “routine” year for the band. For one thing, all the kids get a meal when they perform at home games. There will be a record 163 students involved in the band this year performing at six home games. That’s a lot of feeding!

Each band member also needs to have two uniforms, one for marching band performances and one for concert band performances. 

It’s not cheap to keep musicians dressed and fed so they can learn their craft and provide great entertainment at high school events. 

Fortunately, the band had a great day for a car wash — sunny and warmer than it has been in weeks — and a great location on the Family Video parking lot at Dixie Highway and 183rd Street. 

Matl expressed appreciation to Family Video for the use of the site and to the community for keeping the car washers busy all day.

“We’ve been solid since we opened at 9 a.m.,” he said. “The community is great with the band.”

Matl said the community’s support helps a music program that everyone has reason to be proud of. 

“I’d put our jazz band up against any school’s,” he said.

The students are not only good musicians, but they appear to me to be accomplished car washers. Although the event clearly catered more to four-wheel vehicles, when I pulled my old Raleigh mountain bike up, the musicians didn’t miss a beat. A team of enthusiastic washers decended upon it. The result was a long-lost gleam on the old machine.

I’ll have to start rebuilding the proper layers of grime. I’ll have it ready for next year’s HF band car wash.

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