Great Truck Wash Benefits Local Theater

No matter what the project is, Joe Callahan tackles it first class and with great pride.

Take for instance, his recent endeavor to wash a truck at the Pleasanton Garbage Service.

The Garbage Service acquired the privilege of Joe washing a truck through ''The Labor of Love" auction held in February to benefit the renovation of the Amador Valley High School theater. Tony Macchiano and Bob Molinaro were the high bidders of $3,500 to acquire Joe's services.

For the event, Joe arrived in a classic limousine (driven by his chauffeur Frankie Pappalardo) attired in a white tuxedo, top hat, and black and white boots, surrounded by six lovely ladies dressed in I920 flapper costumes.

Homs blew, tbe band played and the crowd cheered.

Even the weather was perfect for the occasion - sunny and warm.

The extremely dirty truck lent a touch of beauty to itself when hundreds of colored balloons ascended from the cargo of the truck and floated up toward the sky.

Following that picturesque display, Joe got down to serious business, along with planning commissioner Gregg Doherty, of washing the mud-laden vehicle.

However, Joe's special-ordered car washing equipment was nowhere in site! 

Through his infectious laugh and broad smile, and his scrubbing the truck with a dry, small brush, the  cooperative gentleman repeatedly asked, "Where's the water?" 

Finally the tanker filled with pure, clean water was backed into place for use by the truck washer. 

Then the fun began, and in between the water fights the truck managed to be scrubbed perfectly clean. 

If the crowd, sipping beer or soft drinks from specially made mugs inscribed "Joe Callahan Car Wash, subsidiary of Hacienda Business Park", didn't move fast enough, they felt the cool spray of the hose from the over eager truck-washing team. 

The Pleasanton Lions Club was on hand to serve the crowd hot dogs, beer or soft drinks as part of the day's activities. 

The event was a field-day for photographers as they turned out in full force, including the Associated Press and People Magazine. A television crew also arrived, an hour late, but they were there. 

It was a fun-filled day (recorded on video) to be remembered for years to come and for people once again to say, "Only in Pleasanton would something like this take place!" 

To see a reproduction of the original article and edition of Pleasanton Pathways, visit: May 13, 1985 Pathways.

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