What began as a way to remember a young man who loved working with his hands is becoming a lasting investment in students who want to do the same.
Following the fourth annual Day of Dax, the Day for Dax Industrial Arts Scholarship Fund has grown to $10,290, strengthened by a $2,625 contribution from Tommy’s Express Car Wash and the continued generosity of employees, families, school staff, local businesses, and community members.
The scholarship honors the memory of Dax Burk, a Hemlock High School student whose life was tragically cut short on May 20, 2023, just before he was set to graduate. Dax had a passion for the trades, trucks, hands-on work, and helping others. At the time of his death, he was already working as a technician for D&R Mechanical and preparing for a future in the HVAC trade.
Rather than allow Dax’s story to end there, people who knew and cared about him began looking for a way to carry that passion forward.
The result became the Day for Dax Industrial Arts Scholarship Fund, created to help Hemlock High School students pursuing careers in the skilled trades and other hands-on career pathways.
“Dax was a kid who was already finding his path,” said Dr. Don Killingbeck, Superintendent of Hemlock Public School District. “He liked working with his hands, fixing things, helping people, and doing real work. There is something incredibly fitting about his legacy now helping another young person find their path. We miss Dax, but through this scholarship, his name continues to open doors for Hemlock students.”
A major partner in keeping that legacy alive has been Tommy’s Express Car Wash on State Street in Saginaw. Each year, the location hosts Day of Dax and contributes a portion of the day’s car wash proceeds to the scholarship. The 2026 event, held September 26, marked the fourth year the community gathered at Tommy’s Express in Dax’s memory.
For Mike Bentley, Chief Operating Officer of TE Wash Holdings LLC, the partnership is about much more than washing cars or presenting a check.
“Day of Dax has become something our team looks forward to because we know what it represents,” Bentley said. “This is about remembering Dax, supporting his family, and helping young people who share his passion for working with their hands build a future of their own. We are proud that Tommy’s Express can play a part in keeping Dax’s memory alive while investing in the next generation of skilled tradespeople.”
This year, Tommy’s Express contributed $2,625 to the scholarship fund, moving the fund from $7,665 to $10,290 and creating an increasingly sustainable resource to support future Hemlock graduates interested in industrial arts and skilled-trades careers.
For Hemlock Public School District, the growing scholarship also reinforces the importance of recognizing that success after high school can take many forms.
“Our responsibility is to help students discover where their talents and interests can take them,” Killingbeck said. “For some students that is a four-year university. For others it may be an apprenticeship, skilled trade, technical program, or going directly into the workforce. Dax understood the value and dignity of skilled work at a very young age. This scholarship helps us celebrate students who see that same opportunity.”
Four years after the first Day of Dax, what started as a memorial has grown into something with the potential to impact Hemlock students for years to come.
One car wash. One donation. One scholarship at a time. The team would like to see the fund rise to ensure that the scholarship exists in perpetuity. If you would like to know how to donate to the scholarship reach out to Dean Kyle Boros at Hemlock High School at (989) 642-5287.