Fundraising has a lot of "do's" and more than a few donuts.
Exhibit A: the car wash. These days, car washes are controversial because they produce a lot of runoff, which goes down the drain, and ultimately can end up in our rivers and streams.
Members of the roving temporary encampment known as Nickelsville had planned to raise money by washing cars at a Les Schwab tire store in West Seattle until someone they now call the Car Wash Police called them out on it, on the West Seattle Blog.
As Homer Simpson might say, "D'oh!"
That put the kibosh on the tire store car wash.
"Once we discovered it wasn't eco-friendly to be sluicing this stuff in the Duwamish, we knew (we) were going to have to do something," Nickelsville staff person Scott Morrow said.
Enter Krispy Kreme. The donut maker's Sodo location is equipped with a high-tech draining system tough enough to handle a sea of oil and grease, byproducts of the glazed treats.
"Krispy Kreme came through," said Morrow.
A system so secure could also keep runoff from a car wash from getting into the Puget Sound.
But how, exactly?
Morrow could only describe the technology as "something to get out the grease."
There are two other super drains in the area: at Whole Foods on Roosevelt Avenue and a West Seattle produce stand, he said.
The relative scarcity of advanced drainage technology limits the ability to hold car washes, but Nickelodeons are determined to keep it green, Morrow said. The camp, known by residents as an "eco-village," recently received a $10,000 environmental justice grant from the Northwest Social Justice Fund.
Nickelsville's Saturday car wash raised $450, and an anonymous donor matched that amount.
Residents will use the money to pay for Porta-Potties.