All hands on deck

Nearly 1,000 miles away from the East Coast, a group of IU students and fire personnel wanted to help some friends.\nThe IU Student Association and Bloomington Fire Department held a free car wash Saturday from 12-4 p.m. at the old location of Steak 'n' Shake on East Third St.\nDonations from the event were taken for the New York Firefighters 911 Disaster Relief Fund to benefit firefighters victimized by Sept. 11's terrorist attacks in New York..\nSenior Teresa Duckwall created the idea of a having a car wash for the firefighters in New York and contacted IUSA members to help make it happen.\n"It's awesome that a student can come forward with this idea and donate her time to the relief effort," said Meredith Crain, a junior who was involved in IUSA last year.\nFour Bloomington firefighters and at least 30 students volunteered throughout the afternoon. Bloomington residents also stopped by to help with the car wash.\n"Even though New York is a thousand miles away, we are each affected by what happened. As citizens, we have a responsibility to help," said junior Justin Barnes, IUSA director of Student Rights. \nIUSA members planned to raise over $300 from the event. \n"If people give $3 or $5 a car, it will help," said junior Brian Daviduke, IUSA director of Health and Safety. \nEven one of Duckwall's professors stopped by to donate $75 without having his car washed.\nSoap suds, sponges, towels and water wars with hoses took over the area where the old Steak 'n' Shake drive-thru used to be, but appreciation for the firefighter's in New York City remained evident.\nWearing a fireman's helmet, a student advertised the car wash along E. Third St. with a sign that read, "Support America's Heroes." A man, who was unknown to IUSA members and other students, arrived to help dressed as "Fire Dog", said Daviduke.\nBloomington firefighters brought one of their fire engines to attract support and loaned supplies to the students. They were proud of the students volunteering their time with them for the relief efforts, said firefighter Matt Stewart.\n"The New York Fire Department are like our brothers and sisters, we're all members of the IAFF (International Association of Firefighters)," Stewart said. "It's nice to see students connected to them by helping out in their own way, anyway they can."\nThrough the end of this week, IUSA will continue to take can donations for the relief fund and conduct the "Miss a Meal" program with the Residence Halls Association.