AIDAN’S CUP LEGACY OVERFLOWS
Event honouring ‘kind and big-hearted kid’ puts youngsters on race track in super cars
It’s difficult to say which were brighter Saturday afternoon at Pitt Meadows Airport: the smiles or the skies.
Perfect weather proved the perfect backdrop for the second annual Aidan’s Cup, a Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada event giving wish kids and their families the opportunity to rip around a temporary race track in a stunning selection of super cars.
The idea is the brainchild of friends and family of Aidan MacAulay, a North Vancouver teenager who lost his battle with cancer two years ago at age 14. Aidan and his family went to Costa Rica on a Children’s Wish Foundation-sponsored trip, and so the inspiration for Aidan’s Cup was to honour and remember the young man and also to provide some happy memories for kids and their families going through tough times.
“We walked away from last year thinking it would be difficult to top,” said Hugh MacAulay, Aidan’s uncle and the family spokesman. “It was almost magical. The weather had been bad then it broke just in time. It turned out to be a spectacular day and everything just came together.
“But this year it’s better still,” he said Saturday afternoon, the whine of super cars in the background. “That includes these cloudless skies, a bigger turnout, BMO has really stepped up, as have all the sponsors and volunteers.”
BMO was a big help in the inaugural event, and this year provided racing suits for all the kids taking part. Even some parents squeezed into the bright blue one-piece outfits for some hot laps. The financial institution helped fund the family’s Costa Rica trip in 2016.
“With Aidan’s passing we jumped at the chance to be the sponsor for Aidan’s Cup,” said Michael Bonner, senior vicepresident and regional head of BMO B.C. and Yukon. “It has been a very emotional and rewarding partnership. We will be here again next year as this event grows and honours such a great kid.”
Also as with last year, Vancouver-based super car touring company Scenic Rush provided the muscle.
And when its Lamborghini was taken off the road a couple of weeks ago following a mishap, Vancouver tech entrepreneur Kevin Gordon rolled out his oneof-a-kind Lambo Huracan Performante for the kids. It proved to be the longest line, though the Ferrari and Corvette also proved popular choices.
Said Scenic Rush’s Bryan Kohare: “These kids absolutely love cars and seeing their faces light up when they get to experience the power and performance is just so much fun for all of us. Being able to provide them with some respite, even if only for a short period of time, hopefully gives them a lasting memory and a little extra turbo power for their continued recovery.”
Gordon was equally stoked, saying it was one of “the best days of my life, hands down.”
New this year was an Audi R8 from the Scenic Rush stable, but instead of being used for hot laps, it sat in the paddock and served as a “whiteboard” of sorts for the kids to sign and say what makes them happy. Not surprisingly, “fast cars” and “family” proved popular responses.
“This year’s Aidan’s Cup was unforgettable for all of us at Children’s Wish, and most importantly, our wish families,” said Hannah Smith, interim provincial director, Children’s Wish Foundation, B.C. and Yukon Chapter. “We could feel Aidan smiling down on us all day, and we know he would be proud to see his legacy creating so many positive memories for kids like him. Wishes could not come true and events like this could not be held without our generous donors, like BMO Bank of Montreal and Scenic Rush, putting their support behind Children’s Wish.”
Aidan’s parents sat on the bleachers taking in the day’s events, no doubt feeling mixed emotions.
Said Hugh MacAulay: “For us it’s a hard day, but it’s also a wonderful day. We’re obviously thinking about Aidan, and about how much he liked making other people happy. He was such a kind and big-hearted kid.”
He added the thing he and the family will remember from the day, as was the case last year, is the smiles on the kids’ faces.
“We know what their other days are about, and this is a wonderful experience just to have a break from their treatments and from their worries.”
We’re obviously thinking about Aidan, and about how much he liked making other people happy.
HUGH MacAULAY, Aidan’s uncle