Dream Drives for Kids is a unique non-profit based outside of Portland, Oregon. We use a small collection of sports and exotic cars to create one-of-a-kind experiences for children undergoing treatment for a wide range of childhood illnesses. Our work is 100% free and nearly any child who has experienced a serious medical disruption in their lives is likely to be qualified to participate.
We can talk for hours about what we do, but you’ll figure it out pretty quickly if you watch this short video about us.
How Dream Drives Work
Knowing that our medical partners and families are incredibly busy we have structured Dream Drives for Kids to be straightforward and easy for everyone. Basically after you reach out to us:
- We discuss your child’s medical situation
- We look for a date that works for you
- Your child picks a car
- We go for a drive!
It’s that simple.
We don’t have applications or any specific vetting process; we have been doing this for years and we know the kids that will love what we do almost immediately. If your child has had their life suddenly disrupted by hospitalization or if you are staying at Ronald McDonald House for nearly any reason … please give us a call.
We would love to hear from you!
OUr collection
The Dream Drives for Kids fleet of cars is made up of mostly European sports cars, ranging from a 90 horsepower 1969 Porsche 912 to a 621 horsepower twin-turbo 2023 Maserati MC20. We have a car for every child, we believe, and we are able to accommodate a wide range of needs (for example, we have a few cars with back seats for parents or siblings.)
You can see the entire collection and learn more about each of the cars we have available, but we wanted to include a few photos here since, well, we love them.
Safety is job One
Our goal on every Dream Drive is for everyone to have fun in as safe a way as possible. Here are some of the things we do to ensure everyone’s safety:
- We have booster seats for younger kids
- We always make sure that seat belts sit properly
- Family members follow us for the entire drive
- We take roads that we know well
- We drive at lower-traffic times
We are always happy to talk about our safety protocols ahead of the Dream Drive to make sure everyone is comfortable with the process.
Our Partners
We are grateful to have amazing medical partners in the Portland metro area. Each of these organizations have been referring children and families to us for years and know the quality of work we do.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oregon and Southwest Washington is one of our most valuable partners, sending us families from around the country who come to Portland for the amazing care our hospitals provide.
Doernbecher Children’s Hospital is Oregon’s top ranked hospital for children and our original partner. We love when we meet families working with the team at Doernbecher because we know they are in the best hands possible.
JoyRx and the Children’s Cancer Association are perfectly aligned with our vision of creating joy and helping make lives easier during difficult times. Their monthly newsletter is a constant source of riders for us at Dream Drives for Kids.
Shriners Children’s Hospital in Portland has been an amazing partner and one that has allowed us to expand the number of children and families we serve. Shriners makes life easier for their patients and we love being part of that process.
Who We Are
Dream Drives for Kids is owned and run by Eric and Amity Peterson and their children, Chloe and Cooper. The idea for Dream Drives originated on a visit to Cannon Beach, Oregon back in 2013 and evolved from there. The organization was formalized as a 501(c)(3) with the help of some very nice people in 2014 and we immediately got to work.
As you can see in these photos, we love what we do.
We would love to hear from you!
We would love to hear from you!
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