JoyRide is an exclusive car club for kids with special needs and the brainchild of Centerville resident Blair Cornell. It offers a break for the kids from doctor’s visits and medication.
Cornell and his wife Kat have four children. Their second child, 6-year-old Carter, a student at Primary Village South in Centerville, has Dandy-Walker syndrome, a rare brain abnormality he was diagnosed with in utero. Cornell dreamed up the idea of JoyRide after watching Carter struggle to find enjoyable activities. He discovered car rides were a calming activity for Carter when he was frustrated or upset. “I saw how much Carter loved cruising around town and JoyRide was born,” said Blair Cornell. “It was like a lightbulb went off one day,” said Cornell. “If Carter loves cars this much, maybe other kids will too. It seemed simple and then the idea took off!”
Cornell got the word out to other parents with special-needs children via social media. “I owe a huge debt of thanks to Eli Pence who helped us with our website and a lot of the social media. Couldn’t have done it without him.”
Elizabeth Burns of Beavercreek learned about JoyRide through social media and thought her son Jesse would enjoy a ride in the Porsche GT3. “Today Jesse is the ‘big deal’ and his sister is the spectator. That’s a great thing,” said Burns, who home-schools her son.
Each high-end car was equipped with a video camera so the experience could be captured for longtime memories.
Cornell, a Fairmont High School graduate and financial adviser with UBS, is a huge car enthusiast himself and frequent visitor to area high-end, one-of-a-kind car shows. He shared his idea with some car owners and before he knew it, he had a fleet of fantastic cars ready and willing to participate in JoyRide. In addition to the car owners, many volunteers helped make the event happen. Representatives from the U.S. Army were on hand to kick off the race, which began with the singing of “The Star Spangled Banner” and three parachutists landing in the green area at Austin Landing.
Kate Nevius, a junior at Chaminade-Julienne in Dayton and huge NASCAR fan, was thrilled to be checking out the pearl white Lamborghini. Elizabeth Edington of Springboro said her son Noah, who suffers from autoimmune encephalopathy, was so excited to attend the event and ride in a Lamborghini.
Cornell said approximately 80 kids and 16 cars attended the event. “I thought we’d be successful if 50 kids showed up.” Blair hopes the event is one of many and may expand to include other metropolitan area like Columbus and Indianapolis.
The children saw and rode in a variety of cars including Audis, BMWs, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Maseratis, Porsches and others. They also had a chance to make friends, network and build a sense of belonging. They weren’t observers; they were participants. “This is their chance to be the big shots,” said Cornell.
“I knew I wanted to be part of JoyRide when I first heard about it,” said Dave Casto, car owner. “I’m thrilled to showcase my car in a way that benefits such a great cause and creates a fun, engaging atmosphere for kids with special needs.”
Contact this contributing writer at pgmcginnis45419@yahoo.com.
How to help
Online: To get involved or learn more about JoyRide, visit the website at www.joyridecars.org.
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