By Brett Fisher
A car wash is being held Friday afternoon in southeast Carson City to help a Redding, California youth ensure that unattended veterans’ graves receive the honor and love they deserve.
Emma Spears, an eight year-old fourth grader from Carson City, has organized a car wash to help fund 10 year-old Preston Sharp’s efforts ensuring all veterans at rest in his local cemetery receive honor and recognition for their service.
Spears’ mother, Leslie Spears, said Sharp spends his Sundays placing flowers and American flags on the gravesites of military veterans whose plots have been left unattended.
Sharp has been honoring the graves of veterans buried at Redding Memorial Park since Veterans’ Day 2015, according to the Redding Record Searchlight.
“While visiting the grave of his grandfather on Veterans Day, Preston Sharp noticed the lack of flags or flowers on the graves to honor local veterans,” Sharp’s Go Fund Me account states. “This both troubled and inspired Preston. He was distressed that our local veterans were going unrecognized on such a momentous day and motivated to do something to change it. Preston is attempting to place flags and flowers on as many graves as possible.”
The Go Fund Me account, titled Vet Flags and Flowers, was established on Veterans’ Day 2015 to help Sharp achieve his project goal of $5,000.
According to the account, more than half of the goal has been met. Nearly 70 donations have been made in the past eight months.
Spears is hoping her car wash benefit will help make up for what remains of Sharp’s goal.
She came up with the idea of a car wash as a way to generate some quick cash for Sharp’s cause, her mother said.
“Emma thought that a car wash would raise a great amount of money to dontate to Preston to help him reach his project goal,” she said.
Leslie Spears said the donations earned from the car wash are part of a benefit beauty pageant fundraiser for Sharp’s project.
Emma Spears will be competing in the second annual HeartShine Miss Sierra Nevada beauty pageant, held this Saturday, July 30, at Circus Circus in Reno, her mother said.
“We are honored to be doing a flower drive to help him reach his project goals,” pageant organizers said.
HeartShine Director Danna Mack-Barnes said her organization is working with Sharp on other fundraisers to help with his project.
“We will be able to launch a great drive for him and make a real difference,” she said, “including sending HeartShine title holders out to the cemetery with him for hands-on help.”
There is no set fee for Friday’s car wash in Carson City, Leslie Spears said. Any donation amount will be accepted.
The car wash will be held from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. this Friday at 5180 S. Edmonds Drive, near the Livermore Sports Complex in southeast Carson City.
