A 4-year-old cancer patient’s love for Jeeps will turn into a rousing parade this Christmas with thousands of people greeting him as he returns to his Hedgesville, West Virginia, home.
Georgie is battling stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a cancer commonly found in the adrenal glands, according to the Mayo Clinic. His wish? To have a procession of Jeeps welcome him back to his hometown for the holidays.
What had started as a plea online transformed into a massive event with thousands taking their Jeeps to the small West Virginia town from all around the country, planning to drive by his home as he arrives.
Mara Bauserman stepped in when she saw the post online and decided to put her marketing background to work.
“I think we’re over 15 states right now, we’ve got as far as Michigan and there are virtual events popping up throughout the U.S. and Germany,” Bauserman said.
They hope to break the world record of 2,600 Jeeps in a single parade. Bauserman said the community has shown up in a major way and the family has been in awe of the response.
“We’ve got other people that are donating gift cards, just lots of support, and I think that has been really amazing for them,” she added.
She lost her son in 2014 to a tragic accident and said bringing cheer to Georgie is one way her family is able to give back to other families dealing with difficult situations: “This amplification is just really gonna make a miraculous holiday experience for them.”
The parade is slated for Dec. 23. If you’d like to sign up to participate, checkout the Jeeps for Georgie group on Facebook.
