You’ll tear up at these 5 creative ways automakers gave back – Driving

Automakers do a lot for charity, as they should. When you make as much money as car companies do, its only right to give some back to the community.

Plus cars are a huge part of peoples lives, so when these companies step up to help, it gets noticed.

It gets noticed even if its not something big. Getting someone behind the wheel of a vehicle, or even taken for a ride in one, can be one of the great pleasures in life, we think youll agree. For some people, however, its not possible due to an illness or a disability.

Instead of just throwing money at charities, some car companies decide to get creative. Whether its fulfilling the dream of a sick child; or easing the pain of treatment, car companies are able to do more than just write a cheque.

Here are five times automakers gave back in creative ways.

Every kid dreams of having a ride-on vehicle, but sometimes its not possible for kids with congenital disorders.

To make the toy more accessible, Lexus collaborated with the Cerebral Palsy Foundation to build a custom ride-on car for a young girl with cerebral palsy.

The topless Lexus SUV features lower door sills for easier ingress; waist-high side padding and a modified seat; an adjustable headrest; and a five-point harness. Also, because some children with the disorder cannot use a steering wheel or push a pedal, the vehicle is controlled by an armrest joystick.

Rays of Sunshine is a charity that benefits children between the ages of three and 18 living with serious or life-limiting illnesses.

For the past several years, theyve partnered with Ferrari Northern Europe to take 60 children to Silverstone Circuit for an unforgettable track day, zipping them around in cars some of us can only dream about riding in for a wild tour of the worlds most famous courses.

Rays of Sunshine has also hosted Lewis Hamilton meet-and-greet sessions, as well as a special ride in a pink Lamborghini driven by Richard Hammond of Top Gear fame.

The Ontario Honda Dealers Association and the Honda Canada Foundation helped raise $120,000 last year for the Make-a-Wish foundation, thanks to fundraising efforts coordinated during the Honda Indy Toronto event.

Instead of admission to the Honda Indy, guests instead were invited to contribute to the Make-a-Wish foundation on Fan Friday; donations were then matched by the Honda Canada Foundation.

Even better, Make-a-Wish got to connect some of the children it works with to racing stars at the Indy, like Canadas own James Hinchcliffe.

Over the last 10 years, Honda Indy Toronto has raised more than $820,000 for Make-A-Wish Canada.

There is no question that Rolls-Royce makes some of the most luxurious vehicles on Earth, delivering a relaxing experience from the second you enter one. Imagine how calming something like that could be on the way to the surgery room?

That was the idea behind this tiny Rolls-Royce replica, an electric car children can drive through the hospital to the operating room. The drive not only reduces the stress of going to the surgery room, but its fun, too!

The vehicle was presented to St. Richards Hospital Pediatric Day Surgery Unit in Chichester, England.

Hagerty classic car insurance knows if it wants to stay relevant, it needs to help preserve enthusiasm for driving among future generations; one of the ways it does that is with its free Hagerty Driving Experience program, which offers teens hands-on instruction in how to drive stickshift in a classic car.

Maybe Hagerty isnt actually a car company, but were letting it slide since this is the sort of direct giving back co-sponsored by local car clubs that we love best. Besides, is there anything more charitable than risking having your classics gearbox destroyed so a manual-transmission-challenged kid can get an education in this lost art?

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You'll tear up at these 5 creative ways automakers gave back - Driving