Starlight Foundation: Sports Cars and Smiles
The Car Guide team had a great time last weekend at Drive for Smiles, an unforgettable one-day event organized by the Starlight Children’s Foundation. The goal? To raise funds for the organization and give sick kids the chance to take a dream ride in an exotic car. For them, it’s a chance to leave their worries behind, just for a moment. Despite the testy weather, the event was full of fun and smiles!
It would have been hard for us to resist the invitation. Spending the day among car buffs and alongside a sweet selection of exclusive vehicles, all while giving kids the chance to fulfill a dream? It’s a perfect plan for any automobile journalist. We made our way to one of the rallying places aboard a Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid. After all, we wanted the kids to think we were cool!
Need for Speed, the North Shore edition
As we rolled up to our meeting point, we were amazed to see the line-up of supercars: Ferraris, Aston Martins, McLarens, Porsches. The impressive roster of sports cars was turning a lot of heads. Escorted by police, the convoy headed out to the ICAR circuit where the families were eagerly awaiting our arrival. The leader of the pack was the all-new Lamborghini Huracán. Just imagine the sight of 50 supercars charging down the highway together—it was like a scene from Need for Speed, minus the speed.
Once we had arrived, the cars took their spots on the tarmac and basked in the gaze of the families in attendance. It’s true that after spending years as a car journalist, you lose touch with the “wow” factor that these cars offer, but this kind of event rekindles the excitement and reminds us of just how lucky we are!
After a few snapshots, the cars headed over to the track, where kids were offered a ride in the models of their choice. What joy in seeing their smiles as they climbed aboard the car and felt it launch into action! It was just as sweet to see the moms and dads grow emotional when they saw the happiness in their kids’ eyes. Those of us with healthy children felt particularly fortunate when we saw the severely the handicapped kids who couldn’t even get into their dream cars. It’s easy to take such seemingly simple things for granted. Fortunately, there were plenty of other fun activities on the agenda, including guest appearances from people like Lucian Bute.
A memorable day for one and all
In all, it was an amazing day for the Car Guide team. The event was made all the more special by kind words from the families, many of whom said that the experience meant a lot to them and their kids—and that the foundation had changed their lives.
Thank you to the Starlight Children’s Foundation for giving us the opportunity to participate in this special event. And thanks to Porsche Canada for bringing smiles to so many faces with your contribution. People were impressed not only with the Panamera Hybrid’s style and green brake calipers, but also by its practical side. It’s pretty rare to find a sports car that can offer passengers comfort while blasting them down the track at top speeds!
Don’t miss out on our photo gallery, including pics of the supercars!
