Autocar opens its doors to “Make A Wish”

Three-year-old Jackson Smith loves cars and trucks. The bigger, the better. 

It’s tough to find a little boy who doesn’t, but Jackson is unique. 

Jackson, battling brain tumors, was granted a wish through the Make A Wish Foundation that put him closer to the things he loved most. 

After hearing Jackson’s story on a local radio station, Autocar employee Cory Roberson, along with the help of Doug Groff, Ed Steyn, Beth Jepson, Jessica Growden, and Bill Swartz, Roberson organized a plant tour party for Jackson, parents Jason and Allison, and little sister Charlie.

The group took a tour of the factory where the trucks are assembled and then Jackson got to do something he’d only imagined – he drove a refuse truck.

With the help of Groff and his dad, Jackson learned how to operate the arms and compactor on the truck and then took it for a spin around the block. He also received a scale model of the truck and truck-themed cupcakes.