PitStop Car Wash tops goal, raises nearly $11,000 for ALS nonprofit
An Addis, Louisiana general manager whose mother died of ALS led a single-day wash-proceeds fundraiser that surpassed its $10,000 target for Team Gleason.
By The Car Wash News Staff
3 min read
A single-day fundraiser at PitStop Car Wash locations raised close to $11,000 for Team Gleason, a nonprofit that supports people living with ALS, exceeding the company's $10,000 target. The effort was driven by a general manager with a direct personal connection to the cause.
According to reporting from Car Wash Business Center, participating PitStop locations donated proceeds from every wash on Saturday, August 15. PitStop is part of the MOJO Family of Brands, a multi-brand platform that operates 20 car wash brands nationwide.
A personal cause behind the campaign
The fundraiser was led by Missy Gore, general manager of the Addis PitStop Car Wash. Gore's mother died of ALS in 2024, and her family relied on Team Gleason for support as the disease progressed. She credited the organization with helping her family navigate wheelchairs, caregivers and medical resources, and with helping her mother bank her voice before losing the ability to speak.
Gore said her mother later used eye-tracking technology to communicate through a device that spoke in her own voice. "Team Gleason was there for my family during one of the most difficult times in our lives," Gore said. That experience motivated her to organize the wash-day fundraiser.
Terry Emerson, CEO of MOJO Family of Brands, said the campaign was about honoring Gore's mother and helping other families access similar support. Team Gleason said the funds will help it continue providing technology, equipment, support services and experiences designed to improve quality of life for people living with ALS.
How the model worked
The campaign used a straightforward structure: on a set date, participating sites directed the proceeds from each wash to the nonprofit. That approach ties charitable giving directly to normal transaction volume rather than asking customers for a separate donation, which can lower friction at the point of sale. The company set a public dollar goal and reported beating it, giving the effort a clear, measurable outcome to share afterward.
Why it matters for operators
Community fundraisers remain one of the most accessible marketing and goodwill tools available to wash operators, and this campaign shows how an authentic local story can amplify results. Gore's personal connection gave the effort a genuine narrative that a generic charity promotion cannot match, and it likely helped drive turnout on the fundraiser day.
Operators considering a similar program can take a few practical lessons. Tying donations to per-wash proceeds turns routine traffic into fundraising volume without adding a hard sell at the counter. Setting a specific, public goal creates a benchmark that makes the result newsworthy whether or not the target is hit. Choosing a cause with real meaning to staff or the local community, rather than a cause selected purely for marketing value, tends to generate stronger employee buy-in and more credible messaging.
Events like this also produce shareable follow-up content for social channels and press, extending the marketing value well beyond the single day. For multi-site groups, coordinating participating locations around one date concentrates the impact and simplifies reporting. The takeaway is that charitable initiatives can serve community and business goals at once when they are built on a real story and a clear, trackable objective.
