Coronavirus Creativity: Hand-Wash Karaoke Challenge Bringing Awareness To Folsom Small Businesses & Food Bank
FOLSOM (CBS13) - If you've seen videos of Folsom business owners, politicians and other leaders singing while washing their hands, you're not having another crazy quarantine dream.
It's a part of a new online challenge started by Rob Ross after he teamed up with the Folsom Chamber of Commerce.
"There's nothing else to do while you're handwashing! This is a great time!" Ross said.
Ross said that he is doing this for a bigger purpose than just having fun.
"This is something that I worked with the chamber to get going. So we want to make sure we're promoting our small businesses here and also the local food bank," Ross said.
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He told CBS13 he got the fundraising idea from a tech company in Florida that was raising funds for other small businesses there. Ross brought the challenge he likened to the popular ALS ice bucket challenge from a few years ago.
But, instead of dumping ice water over your head, you wash your hands while singing karaoke, post it and share the Chamber of Commerce link where people can buy gift cards from local businesses and donate to the Twin Lakes Food Banks.
"Initially I didn't think it would really work. I thought a few people would participate. I had no idea how big this was starting to go," Ron Perry, the president of the Twin Lakes Food Bank board of directors, said.
Ross has challenged some fairly prominent local leaders like the Felipe Rodriguez, Folsom's Fire Chief, Adrian Blanco of Adrian Blanco Jewelry and City Councilmember Roger Gaylord. Blanco and Gaylord responded and challenged other prominent figures like the Mayor of Folsom.
"I challenged people I really knew who would go and take it and do something with it," Ross said.
Blanco and Gaylord scrubbed up while belting and rapping 'Don't Stop Believin'' by Journey and 'Ice, Ice, Baby,' by Vanilla Ice.
Some small business owners like John Voelz of Reset: Cafe By Day also were challenged by a representative of the Folsom Cordova School board and continued the nomination trend.
"I got dared right!? So my friend Joshua Hoover he tagged me on Facebook," Voelz said.
Voelz said that he opened up his shop on March 2nd and had close most of his operation on March 15th.
He and the food bank say this new and quickly growing challenge can help bring awareness to the entire city and stay strong while trying to flatten the curve.
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"The community leaders, politicians, the teachers, the people on the front lines like there are so many people that are taking part in this and we're thrilled. I think it's giving us all hope right now," Voelz said.
"I think it'll also be a help to small business as well as our whole community having fun participating in something that's so light-hearted yet meaningful," Perry said.
Just what Ross was hoping to inspire.
"We can all sit there and be silly, sing and have a good time and support a good cause," Ross said.
If you want to purchase a gift card or donate to the Twin Lakes Food Bank, you can do so here: https://www.folsomchamber.com/covid-19-resources/handwashing-karaoke
