They got a little wet, but not too wild.

After all, 16 finalists of the Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant 2013 were at The Singapore Association for the Deaf (SADeaf) to raise funds for charity.

On Saturday, the girls spent more than three hours washing luxury cars, helping to raising just over $3,000 for SADeaf.

It cost $20 to wash a car but drivers were encouraged to give more.

While there was much picture-taking, of and among the girls, there were also moments of quiet frowning as they laboured over sports and luxury cars like an anime-decorated Toyota MR-S and a black Ferrari. Earlier in the day, a group of Harley- Davidson motorcycle riders and Land Rover owners also showed up to get their vehicles washed.

In their flip-flops, shorts and tank tops, they scrubbed until the cars at SADeaf were spotless.

No one could miss the fact that two girls in particular seemed to be intent on their work.

Contestant Hnna Quanesha was so tireless in her efforts to wash cars that at one point she said: "Okay, three done, where are the others?"

She was also told off a few times for overzealous water hose usage.

Laughing, the 27-year-old sales support staff said: "I didn't even realise what I was doing. I just want to finish quickly!"

Sitting on the sidelines was the reason why Miss Hnna was working so hard to raise funds for SADeaf - her mum, Madam Noormah Abdul Ghaffor.

The 55-year-old housewife is deaf, and has been an inspiration to Miss Hnna.

"She's here to support me today and she has always supported me, so I really hope I can win the pageant for her," said Miss Hnna.

At about 2.30pm, when business was slowing down, the girls decided to get their colourful posters out and walk to the public carpark next to Mountbatten Square next door, calling out to incoming cars to get their cars washed at SADeaf.

Freelance make-up artist Chui Yee Shia, 25, paid little attention to the ongoing hubbub around her at the event.

Although it was the first time she'd ever washed a car, Miss Chui worked quickly - when she was done sponging one, she quickly moved on to the next.

The cause she was helping to raise money for is one very close to her heart - Miss Chui is 80 per cent deaf in both ears.

"I want to raise awareness for the deaf community," she told The New Paper during a short break.

Miss Chui grew up being bullied by classmates, but is now on a journey to prove that the hearing impaired can have fulfilling lives and "achieve whatever they want".

Miss Faiza Annuar, a 25-year-old art teacher, walked a little slower than the rest of the girls - she was standing in heels for the most part of the threehour event, having forgotten to bring her flip-flops.

Asked if she needed a break, she shrugged and said: "When you're doing something like this for charity you don't get tired."

Influenced

The girls' bright smiles at the event may have something to do with the influence of beauty queen Valentane Huang, the chairman of this year's Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant committee.

Miss Huang, who won the Miss United Nation International 2012 title in Jamaica last November, has been taking signing classes and volunteering with SADeaf for about a year.

Now an ambassador for SADeaf, she said it was "pure coincidence" that brought contestants like Miss Chui to the pageant.

"I think it's a very meaningful, congenial relationship (between Miss Singapore Beauty pageant and SADeaf)," she said.

"The event was a great way to create awareness and to get the finalists involved in community service."

Into its 25th year, the Miss Singapore Beauty Pageant gives out five main titles - Miss Singapore Tourism Queen International, Miss Singapore Global Beauty Queen, Miss Singapore All Nations, Miss Singapore Friendship International and Singapore International Model Of The Year.

The finals will be held on Aug 31.

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