Ginny Craven and friend Taran at the car wash. Courtesy photo.

LAKEPORT – Saturday brought clear skies and sunshine to Lake County. On that day, Operation Tango Mike volunteers assembled early for their Suds-4-Soldiers car wash. Patrons arrived by the droves, lining up two abreast and six deep for most of the day.

At the end of the five-hour event, volunteers were happily exhausted. Their only regret was not thinking to count the number of vehicles washed in the time span of the fundraiser. Despite a few patches of sunburn, sore feet and tired muscles, everyone had a feeling of tremendous satisfaction.

The car wash netted $1,500 in proceeds that will be used to purchase supplies and pay shipping fees for care packages to our troops. Upon learning of the event and its cause, a loyal Umpqua Bank customer donated an additional $1,000. The donor requested no credit, simply stating, “It’s the least we can do.”

Navy veteran Adam Quick helps out. Courtesy photo.

Many members of the Operation Tango Mike family of volunteers are doing double duty by participating in Relay for Life. Their team, the Quick Steppers, boasts five cancer survivors on the roster. Among them is Ron Quick, still battling cancer. The team has been named in his honor.

That team hosted a bake sale at the car wash, offering patrons the opportunity to purchase a snack while waiting for their vehicle to be detailed. That was also very successful, netting nearly $300 in the fight against cancer.

Rich Defrancisci gets the word out. Courtesy photo.

The next Operation Tango Mike “packing party” will be Thursday evening at 6 p.m. at Umpqua Bank, 11th Street, Lakeport. Everyone is welcome.

If you would like more information please contact Ginny Craven at 349-2838 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Umpqua Bank staffers also took part. Courtesy photo.

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