Kids ‘wash for Washington’

Armed with sponges, soap and water, boys from Howard Beach’s Boy Scout Troop and Cub Scout Pack 139 enthusiastically spent Sunday, August 5 doing what their parents could never get them to do: cleaning.
“If it’s house chores, kids don’t want to do it,” said Scout Master Drew Kline, “but if there’s something in it for them, that’s another story.”
So what’s in it for these kids?
A trip to Washington, D.C. to tour the city’s many monuments and historic sites. To raise money for the trip, Troop 139 went to the Rockwood Park Jewish Center (156-45 84th Street in Howard Beach), and held “Wash for Washington” a car wash to benefit the trip to the capitol.
Rain dampened the afternoon, but not the kids’ spirits. Assistant Scout Master Tom Mercatante said the group raised a good amount of money, though they’ve still got a long way to go.
“Without giving specific numbers, I’ll just say we’ve still got some money to raise,” he said.
For the Mercatantes, the scouts is a family affair. Tom’s wife, Andrea, handles much of Troop 139’s planning and fundraising, while the couple’s three boys are members of the troop.
Thomas Mercatante, 12, said the car wash was a success, despite wet conditions.
“There were more cars than we expected,” he said. “Some of the people that came by, we told them what we were trying to do, and they said they were in scouts when they were young, and wanted to do anything they could to help us.”
Twins Andrew and Anthony Mercatante, 10, echoed the positive outlook.
“It was fun,” said Anthony. “When it started to rain, we just ordered pizza and went inside.”
Andrew said he was excited about the trip, as it would give him a chance to see a new place.
“I’ve never been there,” he said. “I have no idea what we’re going to do, but I’m looking forward to it.”
So are the parents, said Andrea.
“I don’t know if the kids are more excited, or the parents,” she explained. “We’ve been planning this for over a year. This is the first time the pack has done something like this. I’ve heard parents talk about when they were in scouts, they’d always talk about doing something like this, but they never got it off the ground.
Wash for Washington is only one of many fundraisers the troop has staged. Others include a candy sale, a cookie sale, and a pasta night, in which invitees were charged money at the door and served pasta.
But the kids, Kline pointed out, have worked just as hard as their parents, if not harder.
“I’ve never heard them say, ‘why am I out here, why do I have to wash these cars?’,” said Kline. “When they all get together, they give it their all.”
Andrea Mercatante said Troop 139 has gained significant support from political leaders like Councilmember Joe Addabbo, Assemblymember Audrey Pheffer, and State Senator Serphin Maltese, as well as Monsignor Richard Marchese of St. Helen’s, the parish that sponsors the troop.
Fundraisers will continue into the fall, as the trip is planned for October. The students will go to Washington regardless of how much money is raised, but troop leaders hope they can raise enough funding to allow each scout to go for free, with parents paying their own way if they choose to tag along.
A second Wash for Washington will be held Sunday, August 19, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Like the first one, it will be at the Rockwood Park Jewish Center in Howard Beach. The tentative rain date for the event is Sunday, August 26.
“We need more parents to help, and participation would be greatly appreciated,” said Kline.