I had this thought of how people go to hospitals dressed as a superhero to get sick kids excited and feeling better, and was wondering if that’s ever done with cool cars. Set up a day, come by in a bunch of cars, give kids some slow short rides in a cool car, lift some spirits. Do people do this already? Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I think that if my kid was in the hospital and some guy showed up in a mask and took him for a ride in his car there would be hell to pay. Seriously, I doubt you can take admitted patients that are being treated for a joy ride. It is a nice sentiment and your heart is in the right place, not sure about the logistics.
You sound like my wife!! He he. Like if there was a club or association, “Hot Rods for tots” or something like that, and you have some kind of coordination with a hospital. I don’t know. Think about how if you’re in your car and a little kid sees you, their faces light right up. I’m gonna look into it. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Hospitals......Nope! If you look, there are fundraisers for a ill child held at parks or pic nic areas. These events are usually put on by some committee or organization.... sometimes just for that child. Find those organizations... go through them. This will be much more personal. I'll say this..... there would have to be some kind of personal relationship before any thought of a ride. This goes both ways. Another idea is contacting the local nursing homes and assisted living facilities. This would be more of a display rather than rides. Sometimes schools have field and career days and I have seen old cars at such events. Warning.....I saw about 30 3rd graders converge on a Model A sedan like it was a Jungle Gym.
We've done a few things with some ambulatory veterans in the past, in conjunction with the local VA Hospital and also our Naval Hospital. Yes, it brightens their days immeasurably ... Do it. It will make you feel wonderful as well. I promise.
Litigation ruins everything, they've probably removed the sharpener from the crayon box at this point, maybe could arrange to have folks picked up in a hotrod upon discharge.
Just think of the lawsuit if you were in an accident and they went over your car with a fine tooth comb to try and find anything to charge you with. You would in the vary least need a license unless it was for a friend or someone you knew.
i am a member of westcoast hotrod club in western australia and one of the benificiaries of our charity work is the senses foundation....deaf,mute and blind. last year a group of about 10 hotrods went down to there summer camp and spent most of the day taking them for rides around a fairly big block which included an unused road.....well some noisey burnouts and a bit of wind in the face did wonders for all concerned. all the recipients had a ball,young ,old,male and female... surprisingly they all had a car tale that was dear to them, then to watch how a blind person looks over a car by feel (care around the hot bits) was a moving experience... dunno who had the most fun....them or us
Like Ed eluded too,our club arranged with the director of the local Veterans Home and brought our cars for a small show, there were some that wanted to ride and we were told to stay on the grounds, we enjoyed it but the smiles & stories of past cars and hot rods these gentlemen had put a huge smile on our faces. HRP
I gave disabled kids rides on my Harley for The Lions Club, I wonder if their insurance guy was nervous
The local cruise organizers announce stuff like this at the draw and prize giving...Last week they handed out a leaflet and asked for members (all voluntary of course...no pressure) to bring their Cars...whatever make up for 1.5 hrs at a home for the old folks. I went and there was 10 to 15 cars and was getting some free grub offered for showing up and I met and pushed a wheelchair bound aged fellow around to see the cars and the Ole Hotrod yippee yapping about old cars n' things. Made his day and an older woman reminisced about riding in the ole rumble seat while looking at the the Coupe as well...After that go have a Java and hit the local cruise...I would suspect Hospitals are a bit more logistically and more rule leaning with noise and this and that but the local cruise may help making your dream come alive... It was just a little doo for those who Could use a lift for the spirit...
In the middle 50's my parents and the Kansas City HCCA had yearly benefits for special childrens', homes. The antique car owners took the children on a tour around the KC area. I remember how intriguing and exciting it was for the retarded kids and how they were uninhibited in their expression. In the 70's, our Lawrence, KS sports car club had a yearly blind rally. We had the rally instructions printed in Braille then drove to KC and picked up blind students from the Kansas School for the Blind. The students were our navigators for the event. We always looked forward to that event and probably enjoyed it as much as the blind students. That kind of thing doesn't always need a club for a person to just give an old or disadvantaged person a nice experience. I should do it more. One Christmas, my wife and I drove the Model A around Independence, MO giving away cooked turkeys. Fun! I've thought about suggesting to my local friends that we do something like that with our hot rods on holidays, but realized it would be better to use our family cars for reasons that I don't need to explain. Anyway, its a nice thing to do something special for others that may not get a chance otherwise.
The club I associate with, their charity was a home for abused children. Once a year we would go over and at the end the kids would come out and look at the cars. Boys were more interested then the girls, but since my '60 was larger than most of the Hot Rods, three girls wanted to ride around in it. We were allowed to take them around the property and I'd rap the pipes. I think the girls were nervous riding alone, but being able to go together made them feel comfortable. The nursing home my late Grandmother was at they use to have a car show. We'd all go over and it was one of those times I didn't care if people touched the car. But, the best was the summer my Dad had built a '29 roadster. (full fendered, brown primer, sbc, steelies) I had the day off and I surprised my Grandmother as she came out of the Senior Center after Bingo. All the ladies got a kick out of that car. They ALL new it was a Model A Ford and for once when they said "we had one of those" I knew they were probably right. She rode in all our cars, but she had the biggest smile in that one. So yes, find an opportunity and do it. It will make you feel as good as it does them
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