A local nonprofit, Rebuilding Generations, rallied together today to give a local 10-year-old boy the ride of a lifetime for his 10th birthday.
Ryan Wilson's dad went out on a whim and reached out to the community through next door asking for help to surprise his son for his tenth birthday.
"I thought it was going to be a long shot post, but I made a post on the nextdoor app wanting to get my son a ride on a Lamborghini or a Ferrari and I had over 190 comments of all the people volunteering," said Christopher Wilson, Ryan's dad.
That's when Kevin Keep from Rebuilding Generations stepped in.
"The nonprofit youth program where we take kids and teach them how to work on a car so for us it was an opportunity of how do we mentor this next generation," Keep said.
Keep said he saw the post and knew his organization had to step up and make Ryan's day.
"We were like lets get together a crew lets do something and bring a bunch of cars instead of just one, so that is what we are doing we are getting a bunch of guys with a bunch of cool cars to stop by this kids birthday at his house and let him pick and choose one or all of the cars for a ride," he said.
For Ryan, the birthday became "the best birthday ever."
"And the memories we are going to make that his dad was his hero, his dad reached out and pull off something that he never thought could have happened and making that dream come true," he said.
Several cars and trucks from classics like model T's to modern Lamborghini, pulled up to Ryan's birthday party with his friends and family.
"My favorite car is a Bugatti," said Ryan.
Keep said it's important to get involved with the community when he can.
"We have to be men in action, we have to not talk about how me make change," he said. "But we say it takes a village to raise a child, well that’s what this is we are part of the village we are part of the tribe that is going to help this kid have an amazing birthday. We have some pretty nice toys that you get to see behind us, we are blessed on what we have well that’s great well how do we share that, how do we give back and giving back is the most important thing for me."
And it's an effort that — in Ryan's book — paid off.
“It makes me feel really cool seeing all of them,” he said.
And for the family, it's a memory that will last.
"It means the world to me and my son and my wife it is just a blessing to know that there are such great people out there that are willing to do this for people that they have never even met," Christopher said.
