Our Inspiration

The Day a Father and Son changed our Lives

One afternoon, a father and his young son, came into the dealership. Brett felt an immediate connection to them and noticed a sadness in the boys eyes. As the boy walked around the showroom, stopping to admire the exotic cars, the father turned to Brett and told him his son had a rare form of cancer and they didn’t know how long he would survive. Without hesitation, Brett asked the boy if he would like to go for a ride in a Lamborghini.

With the test drive over, Brett and the boy rejoined the father, waiting for them. The sad quiet boy that walked into the showroom earlier was now smiling from ear to ear and bursting with questions about the cars. The father hugged his son and with tears in his eyes, told Brett he couldn’t remember the last time he saw his son smile. Through the boy, Brett now saw in the cars a power he never knew existed. Not the power under the hood but the power to heal.

Brett stayed in touch with the father and son, noting how upbeat the boy became once they talked about the cars. Brett’s thoughts kept going back to the first day they met and how the road test in the Lamborghini put a huge smile on the boy’s face. After sharing the experience with his sister Brooke, they suddenly realized they had found a way to give back. For a child diagnosed with a serious illness, every day is a struggle. For one day, Brett and Brooke would give them an adrenaline-filled experience they will never forget, that will put a big smile on their face! It was a great way to distract the child from their health-related struggle and have a positive effect on the entire family.

It was 2011 and Ride2Revive was born. It’s mission: to provide Miles of Smiles on the Road to Recovery.

Footnote by Valerie David Kaye

Brett and Brooke’s Mother

A year later, the father came into the dealership while Brett was out. I told him that I was Brett’s mom and he took a seat at my desk. With tears in his eyes, he said, “Brett was very nice to my son. I brought him in one day and Brett took him for a ride in a Lamborghini. It made my son so happy.” My heart sank as he told me his son had passed away and he wanted to thank Brett for the kind messages and texts that Brett and his son had shared and the positive effect this had on his son. The father said he would never forget that day, and the smile on his son’s face after the test drive in the Lamborghini.

Ten years later we have come a long way, and it has been wonderfully rewarding. The video below offers a brief look at our journey.

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“I was down and at the lowest point in my life. But this past week, ever since my dad told me about Ride2Revive, it had a huge impact on me. I can’t even begin to express how insane yesterday’s event was.”

Joseph R.

Ride2Revive Participant