10 years later: The Exotic Car Rally

Where were you 10 years ago today? 

Here's where we were: at (arguably) the world's greatest car rally. Organized by a neighbor named Jack Novak, who loved the waves he got from Jason as he drove by each day, and arranged by Dan Foltz, who convinced his buddies at the 1310 Car Club to come along for the ride, it was an incredible time. Led by a 3-car escort by Chief Noel of the Blue Ash Police Department, the nearly 30 exotic cars paraded by Jason and nearly 100 of his friends and neighbors. Highlights included a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, a $1.1M Porsche, and many of the "best cars on the lot" on loan from local car dealers. The outpouring of love and support was overwhelming, as was the generous collection of donations to support the cerebral palsy clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.

But perhaps best of all was the reaction to this video, shot as a last-minute thought as the cars passed by:

The video quickly went viral in the online car enthusiast community, spawning over 1,000 comments, 14,000 likes, and over 1.4M views. The comments were so generous in spirit that they themselves brought a tear to the eye. A few of the responses:

“You guys made this kids day, if not his year! Good on you and this is something the world needs to look at! Spread this! Make it viral! Get people involved! Make these kids happy! Make your self happy! Everyone benefits here!“

“If I had such a car I would def do the same… only a few minutes out of your day to make someone else’s whole day.“

"So the guys that did this, freaking awesome. To do something special for someone else, it takes heart."

“Sorry I couldn’t make it from Alaska.“

"This. This is why I still have faith in humanity. That smile. The excitement. Amazing"

“For all that participated, thank you for all of the joy you shared with this young man!

Organizer Dan summed up the day perfectly in his own blog post and with these words:

“I’ve been reading through all the comments, and for the vast majority of them I can’t help but think that this….this is how it should be. No hatred or venom or you vs. me, he vs. she. Just compassion and caring for a young man and his family, and for those of us that were fortunate enough to participate in this amazing experience.“

Ten years later, it is still heartwarming to know that such compassion still glows within us. Sometimes it just takes a wave to bring it out. Thanks again to all the heroes that made this possible and boosted us on our journey.

Read the original blog post
How the car rally led to Howdy, Neighbors