Family raises money for funeral expenses by washing cars, selling BBQ
Cost of a funeral in the United States averages $7,045
It seems like most of the time, car-wash fundraisers are held for things like new football uniforms or tickets for the marching band's trip to regionals. Not this time, not in Cleveland, Texas.
A family in the Houston-area town is raising money to help pay for a relative's funeral by offering car washes to people passing by the local AutoZone, KHOU.com reports. The family is also selling barbecue.
Connie Chiado, cousin to the late Ray Farmer, who, according to KHOU.com, "died mysteriously in his sleep," told the news station the car wash isn't "for fun and games. We need to bury my cousin."
As of Wednesday, they'd raised about $2,000. The family is seeking a total of $9,000 to pay for the funeral, according to KHOU.
Farmer was reportedly found dead on Saturday morning by his wife of 22 years. He had three children and one grandchild.
Chiado told KHOU, "We're not rich people. We flip burgers for a living. We work on cars for a living."
Last month, a Holtville, Calif., family also raised money for funeral expenses with a car wash. Francisco Javier Rico died in a car accident. He was 22.
The median cost of a funeral in the United States is $7,045, according to the National Funeral Directors Association.
Follow Mike Krumboltz on Twitter (@mikekrumboltz).
