Car wash to raise money for recently orphaned sisters
IMPERIAL – Paul Marcinkowski is hoping to sell a lot of car washes Saturday, but he doesn’t plan to make any money from it.
Instead, Marcinkowski, president of Palm Canyon Petroleum and owner-operator of Arco ampm Gas Station & Convenience Store and Big Splash Car Wash, 205 E. 15th St, said he intends to donate all car wash proceeds to one of his employees and her sister, the two of whom were recently orphaned.
Elena Rodriguez, a 21-year-old Brawley Union High School graduate, has worked for Marcinkowski at the convenience store about 10 months. On April 15, she and her sister, Mia, an 18-year-old Brawley senior, lost their father, Javier, in an industrial accident.
According to Imperial County Sheriff’s logs, Javier Rodriguez was caught in a piece of machinery while working at Sun Harvest Ag on Highway 86. He was found unresponsive. He was 49.
Less than a year a half prior, Elena and Mia had lost their mother, Anna, to breast cancer. Suddenly, they were orphans.
But they have quickly learned they are not alone.
One of the girls’ aunts, Corina Sagredo, quickly organized a GoFundMe account on their behalf. Through Thursday, donors had already contributed $18,970.
Elena expressed some surprise at that outpouring of generosity, saying she didn’t realize so many people would take an interest. But, she added, recalling her father, “Dad was very active, very social.”
Marcinkowski’s only connection to the family is through Elena.
“This is Elena’s first full-time job and she is a diligent worker,” he said in an email. “She and her sister are very good softball players. These are the few things we know about her. She is smart and quiet. But we know more about her personal life through a GoFundMe page setup for her sister and her.”
Marcinkowski said he and his wife Ayesha have helped other employees in the past with personal issues. “We feel it’s our social duty to help someone who is within reach and desperately needs our help,” he said. “Being orphaned is very difficult especially as a young person and to have it happen during such a difficult social distancing time should not lack in care and comfort from the community. This is what we want to overcome. Let Elena and her sister feel that they are not alone in this and we are all here to help.”
He said he hopes to raise $1,000 to $2,000 from Saturday’s car wash fundraiser.
The event will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Marcinkowski said the equipment is a 65-foot employee-attended automatic conveyor express exterior wash.
“The car is pulled through the wash as various chemicals, brushes, high pressure jets and blowers turn off and on to thoroughly clean and dry your car,” he explained. “All employees wear gloves and face masks and no actual human contact is needed to purchase and go through the wash.”
The prices range from $6 up to $14, he said.
Elena Rodriguez said she and her sister plan to be on hand Saturday.
She also expressed her thanks online for the kindness she and Mia have been shown since their father’s passing.
“I would like to thank each and every one of you that has taken the time to reach out to me and my siblings,” she wrote. “It’s times like these that show us how much my dad was loved by many! I’m extremely grateful with you all for everything you’ve done for us, the meals, the donations, EVERYTHING! We appreciate you all and can’t thank you enough!”