It started with a simple birthday wish – to ride in a Chevrolet Camaro.
Alina Pope posted on the Community of St. Albert Facebook page on Oct. 10, asking if any Camaro enthusiasts would show their car to her son Nathanial for his upcoming ninth birthday.
He has been in love with cars since watching the Transformers movie, said the fourth grader, who attends Leo Nickerson School. His favourite character is Bumblebee.
By Saturday afternoon, Nathanial’s birthday wish was about to come true.
Marv Brown shined up his yellow Chevrolet Camaro Convertible with black stripes – just like Bumblebee – and headed over to the Pope family home for an afternoon drive.
“I turned the corner towards their house and I could literally hear him shrieking. He just went bananas!” said Brown.
Brown took Nathanial, brother Logan and dad Greg for a spin first. Then Nathanial, with mom Alina and a neighbourhood friend next.
“It was so much fun! I couldn’t believe it,” said the eight-year-old, who turns nine on Oct. 28.
“It was really neat to meet the family and do that for them. To be able to share that with Nathanial truly was the best part of my summer,” added Brown.
Little did the Popes know, their initial Facebook request was making the rounds on social media.
“Dozens of people responded and people were talking about everyone showing up at our house and giving him a ride. It was just such an overwhelming feeling to have everyone want to do this for my son,” said Greg.
It caught the attention of Kelly Lauder of the Central Alberta Camaro Club and the Edmonton Camaro and Firebird Club.
“Why not make it a Camaro party?” he thought.
From there, one good deed snowballed into another.
“Nathanial’s Camaro Party” transformed into a fundraiser for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in the St. Albert Costco parking lot on Sunday, Oct. 19.
Lauder reached out to several automobile clubs across the province and expected 35 cars to show up. On Sunday, at least 75 cars were on the lot at any given time.
“Some members pulled their cars out of hibernation to come,” said Lauder.
The fundraising part was Nathanial’s idea. Donations and funds raised from silent auction items totalled $2,670.
“My wish came true and I wanted other kids’ wishes to come true,” said Nathanial.
The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants wishes for children between the ages of three and 17, who have been diagnosed with life-threatening medical conditions.
The money raised from the Camaro party will go toward granting wishes in Northern Alberta, said Katie Willis, communications co-ordinator with Make-A-Wish.
“One thing that I really loved in particular about Nathanial’s birthday wish was how the power of a wish and a child’s inspiration feeds the entire community,” she said.
The hope is to make this an annual event, added Willis.
Although they have never had to use the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the cause has touched both brothers Nathanial and Logan, said Greg.
“They identify with kids who are sick or don’t have what they need and that has certainly touched them.”
Greg is thankful to Brown, Lauder and the automobile clubs for making the event possible.
“We’re so pleased that people could make it out,” he said.
“I’m super proud of Nathanial, and Logan for supporting his brother. It brings a lot of warmth to my heart to know that my son feels that way and wants to do good things for the community.
