WOW Carwash raises record $28,000 for St. Jude Walk in Las Vegas
The Las Vegas operator's kiosk donation campaign and corporate gift lift its total support for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital past $175,000 since 2019.
By The Car Wash News Staff
3 min read
WOW Carwash will contribute more than $28,000 to the St. Jude Walk at Craig Ranch Regional Park in Las Vegas, the company announced ahead of the Saturday event benefiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. The figure marks a record annual total for the Vegas-born operator, according to reporting from the International Carwash Association.
This year's donation combines more than $18,000 raised from guest contributions at WOW's point-of-sale kiosks, where customers can add a gift when buying a wash, plus a $10,000 corporate contribution from the company directly.
A multi-year fundraising partnership
WOW Carwash has supported the St. Jude Walk since 2019, with more than 250 team members participating across the years. Over that span the company has contributed more than $175,000, a total made up of corporate gifts and over $100,000 generated through guest donations at its wash kiosks.
Lisa Kelly, St. Jude's area managing director, credited the operator's team and customers for rallying around the cause and noted the kiosk campaign alone has raised nearly $100,000. CEO Heath Pomerantz framed the approach as supporting the hospital "one car wash at a time," and said this year's total set a record for the partnership.
At Saturday's walk, WOW will host a tent offering "Official Clean Team" temporary tattoos for children and branded items for walkers. The company operates 21 locations across the Las Vegas valley and holds official car wash partnerships with the Vegas Golden Knights, UNLV athletics, and the Vegas Knight Hawks.
Why it matters for operators
WOW's campaign shows how a point-of-sale donation prompt can turn routine wash transactions into a steady charitable revenue stream. The kiosk mechanism has generated close to $100,000 for St. Jude over several years without requiring customers to go out of their way, because the ask happens at the moment of purchase. For operators weighing a cause marketing program, the model offers a repeatable template: a recurring local charity, a low-friction add-on at checkout, and a visible corporate match that signals the company has skin in the game.
The long run with a single beneficiary also matters. By returning to the same event since 2019, WOW has built name recognition tied to a well-known cause and reinforced its identity as a locally rooted business. That consistency helps convert one-time goodwill into an ongoing community relationship, and the sports team sponsorships layered on top keep the brand visible year round.
Operators considering a similar effort should weigh how clearly the ask is presented at the kiosk, whether staff understand the program well enough to encourage participation, and how donation totals are tracked and reported. Pairing guest gifts with a defined corporate contribution, as WOW does, gives customers confidence their dollars are being matched and amplified rather than simply collected.
