Local car wash to benefit student

Neighbors to soap and scrub cars to help pay student’s medical bills.

By: Joseph Harvie and Melissa Hayes
   Two South Brunswick residents have teamed up with Major Car Wash on Route 1 to raise money for Adam Abdallah, a seventh-grade student at Crossroads North, who has been diagnosed with leukemia.
   Amy Tunison and Debbie McCann are Adam’s neighbors and wanted to do something to help cover the medical expenses that were becoming costly for Suzanne Hoff, Adam’s mother.
   They are selling tickets for an exterior car wash for $8.75. The carwash will donate $3 from each ticket sale to Adam’s mother to help pay for medical expenses, said Amy Tunison one of the women who is running the fund-raiser.
   Ms. Tunison is Adam’s neighbor and she wanted to help with the medical bills, but could not do it alone.
   "I’m just a neighbor who wanted to help out," she said. "My daughter and him have always been at the same bus stop together and I want to help out and I am not in any financial needs to help them myself."
   Ms. Hoff, said she has been amazed at the community support she has received since Adam was diagnosed. She said the fund-raiser was an incredible thing for a neighbor to do.
   "She is just amazing," Ms. Hoff said. "She came over one day when she saw my van outside, with her daughter and just said, ‘Can I help you with this? Can I help you with that?’" Ms. Hoff said. "She has never done anything like this before, so for her to do this is incredible."
   Adam has been diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia and had spent five months in St. Peter’s University Hospital in New Brunswick, she said.
   "He has the most aggressive form of leukemia, so they have to do the most aggressive chemotherapy," Ms. Hoff said.
   Ms. Hoff said the leukemia has infected Adam’s bone marrow and he had to have daily blood transfusions.
   Adam came home last week, but still goes in for daily treatments.
   "I am happy he’s home. I was really hoping we would get him home by Christmas," Ms. Hoff said.
   Ms. Tunison said she approached Major Car Wash for help in the fund-raiser because of their reputation for giving back to community.
   "They were extremely helpful and really great about it," she said.
   Wally Milgard, a carwash employee in charge of fund-raising, said they began selling tickets about two weeks ago.
   "The tickets are good, they don’t expire," he said.
   Mr. Milgard said the business often helps nonprofit groups raise money.
   "We do a lot with the American Cancer Society and if there is somebody in need, we’ll help them out," he said.
   To purchase tickets, call Amy Tunison at (732) 274-9668 or Debbie McCann at (732) 438-9549.