9-Year-Old NJ Entrepreneur Unites His Neighborhood With Car Wash Fundraiser

MONTCLAIR, NJ — It started out as a neighborhood car wash. But what happened in Montclair eventually became an exercise in community spirit – and a valuable lesson in entrepreneurship for an inspiring young businessman.

William Bridges told Patch that the car wash campaign run by his 9-year-old son, Wes – which raised more than $300 for the Montclair Animal Shelter and the Montclair Public Library – has made his entire family proud.

Subscribe

Held earlier this year, the project reached its zenith this week when Bridges presented checks to both organizations.

According to the Bridges family, it was a rewarding end to an unexpectedly successful lesson in entrepreneurship, teamwork and philanthropy.

The project began with Wes's idea to start his own neighborhood car wash. He eagerly assumed more and more responsibility, taking the lead on organizing and promoting the event. Along the way, he got some valuable experience with creating a business, marketing, budgeting, customer service and handling money.

Bridges soon found that he had a skill for rallying others to the cause, including his father, his mother, Shayla, and his friends – all of whom rolled up their sleeves and pitched in when it came time to let the suds fly.

In the end, Bridges decided to donate half of the profits to two of his favorite causes: animal welfare and literacy.

"I wanted to give to the library because I love to read different books there, and the animal shelter because I love animals – especially my dog, Checkers," he told Patch.

"As his parents, we were proud to see him take an idea and actually turn it into something real," the youth's father said.

"Even more rewarding was seeing his friends, family and neighbors get involved and support him," he added.

According to William Bridges, his son has been exposed to the business world at home in the same way that some children are exposed to a second language.

William Bridges said he has spent more than 20 years in corporate America in leadership roles with companies such as ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and IBM before becoming the owner/operator of a Chick-fil-A franchise in South Plainfield.

Meanwhile, Shayla Bridges has amassed more than 20 years of leadership experience in corporate retail and merchandising, including roles with companies like Neiman Marcus, Tapestry Inc., and Banana Republic.

The pair also own and operate a FirstLight Home Care franchise in Verona, which they have been building together for more than two years.

"Because Wes has grown up watching both of his parents build and operate businesses, he has naturally been exposed to conversations about leadership, customer service, teamwork, responsibility and what it takes to turn an idea into something real," Bridges said.

"That's part of what made his decision to create his own car wash so exciting for us," he added. "We wanted to support his idea without taking it over, allowing him to experience the process himself — from developing the concept and promoting it to serving customers, working with his friends and ultimately deciding to use 50 percent of the profits he earned to give back to his community."

"What has been especially rewarding is seeing Wes begin to develop his own perspective on entrepreneurship at such a young age," Bridges beamed. "While his parents' businesses may have given him an early window into what entrepreneurship looks like, the car wash was very much his idea, and we were intentional about letting him take the lead."

"For us, the greatest lesson has been watching him discover that entrepreneurship can be about more than building a business — it can also be about leadership, bringing people together and making a positive impact in your community," Bridges said.

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site.