SuperCars for Superkids
MELROSE – Children from Reach For A Dream and The Sunflower Fund were recently treated to rides in exotic cars.
Children from The Sunflower Fund and Reach For A Dream Foundation were taken on a once-in-a-life-time experience in high-performance vehicles at Melrose Nissan recently.
The event, SuperCars For SuperKids, which was organised by community members Bradley Ainge, Darren Fresco and Shelby Zimmerman, started about two years ago. “The idea came about because I went through what these kids are going through – I was also sick,” said Ainge.
Read also: Super cars motivate ill children
“My father would take me to see super cars and I would get into the cars. This motivated me to get better and carry on. I don’t see these children as being any different, they just have more obstacles to overcome.”
He explained that the trio tries to host the event every three months to motivate the children to get better so they can own such a car one day too. It is sponsored by the drivers of high-performance vehicles, as they give their time to drive the children in their personal vehicles.
Read also: Supercars used to motivated terminally-ill children
Ainge added that this event one was of a kind and one of the best as there were 22 exotic cars at the event.” The feeling just gets better every time and the attendance from people this time around was amazing. The children were all so great and so excited that it made all the time and effort put into organising the event very worth it,” he said.
Angelo Agrizzi, a high-performance driver who has been part of the events since inception, explained that being part of making children smile is worth it. “Just seeing the smiles on their faces that one drive put on their faces is amazing. As a kid, I grew up very very poor. The possibility of getting a lift in one of these cars was not even possible. So I know how much this means to the kids, especially those that have just come out of hospital,” said Agrizzi.
Each of the children who were present received chocolates, goodie bags, hats, The Sunflower Fund bandanas and breakfast which was sponsored by the drivers. Parents stood in awe as they watched their children’s mood transition into happiness as they, for a moment, forgot about their illness.
Raun Vanderink, one of the children at the event, got a ride with Agrizzi who said it he was an absolute joy and a delight to drive with, especially since it was 101 days since his stem cell transplant.
“After his transplant was done he was not allowed to go anywhere for 100 days. It was so great that the event fell on his 101th day and he was able to experience the joyride. This is October and we need more people to join the Sunflower Fund to become stem cell donors, it could bring hope for someone. All you have to do is call our toll-free number for information,” said Zimmerman.
She also urged members of the community to come and experience one of the events so they can understand the privilege that it is to be surrounded by the children and how important it is to make a difference in their lives.
Ainge said while the event does not really require funding, community members can contribute by donating items such as food and flowers for the morning.
Details: Bradley Ainge 083 644 1996 or The Sunflower Fund 0800 121 082.
