Can a free van turn an 8 year old into an engineer?

Paul J Daly: 0:00 On Saturday, holiday weekend, August 30. This is the automotive State of the Union. It's, it's such a festive kind of weekend, everyone gets involved. And I have Chris Reeves in the studio today to tell us about how people are being involved. On all the other days, Unknown: 0:15 the people really want to know who I is and who I be. They stop this deal when they Paul J Daly: 0:18 see, you know, I don't know if you're like me, but I always, and I'm going to say always, I'm a big like, we don't use absolutes around here kind of person, but I'm going to use always. And I I always have to check and say, Is this one Memorial Day or Labor Day? Chris Reeves: 0:36 Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's Labor Day. Well, it's, I think. And to be fair, I think it's because the celebration of each has has been just absolutely meshed, like we don't actually honor what either is about. No, we try Paul J Daly: 0:51 to certain pockets of people understand very clearly. Yeah, right. And I actually, I don't even know what Labor Day is about. I know what Memorial Memorial Day is about, what is Labor Day? About? Labor Day is about the weekend, bro, like, celebrate working by not working, Chris Reeves: 1:07 right? Yeah, there was a time when your kids had to work so that you could live inside a house, okay, right? Your children, right? And and people protested and had their heads cracked and all this stuff, so that we can have weekends, and we can have four, got it, and we can have, you know, and now, and now, it's like, Thank you for fighting for my freedom. And now, yeah, that's the other one, but I'm still grateful Paul J Daly: 1:30 for that. I mean, I think that's worth being grateful for twice. Chris Reeves: 1:34 Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. That's the thing. Like they both do absolutely, like, bookend, what it means to be free in America, like we are summer season, oppression, yes. And we are free to to pursue what it means to have life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for our family, for our for our individual experience, you know, like those two holidays are so, so important, you know. And Paul J Daly: 1:57 it's also a great, you know, mid q3 boost to retail sales. I mean, everybody wins, Unknown: 2:07 yeah. Paul J Daly: 2:08 What are we talking about today? Chris Reeves: 2:09 Hey? Well, so we are, we are actually, this is crazy. I realized while I was preparing for today that this is, this is two in a row. We're going to be talking about vans like, it's like, Paul J Daly: 2:21 no, okay, not the sneakers, no, not the transportation mode, Chris Reeves: 2:25 large, very large cars. I love, I like Paul J Daly: 2:29 vans. Vans are great, yeah, so last week, we almost have a family that needs one, not quite. I don't think I'm gonna get there. Not gonna get there. If Chris Reeves: 2:36 you just paste it correctly, you'll have kids moving out as Paul J Daly: 2:40 the right. Well, I'm kind of here now, now I'm now, I'm even questioning, like I could actually almost have a car without a third row. Hey, almost, which, I mean, Miles is still riding with us a lot of the time, but, I mean, he's riding solo a lot, but still, you know, but now have teenage girls who have friends, yeah? Friends on friends on friends, you know, Chris Reeves: 3:00 start a like a family Uber account, you know, like, if whole family is going anyway, you got the third row, right? Take somebody somewhere, Paul J Daly: 3:07 absolutely All right, back vans, vans, talking about vans. So Chris Reeves: 3:11 actually, there's a, there's a young boy. Also this story's from West hare. They are, they are good friends of ours. I really like asking yes before we get into the story, if you guys personally know who we're talking about, we know Paul J Daly: 3:25 Western we've done an episode. There's actually a beautiful episode about the Western Automotive Group. If you go to more than cars.tv you can see, I believe it's episode three. No, it's episode four. No, it's episode three. Yeah, go check them out. Okay, West her. We're back in Western New York, upstate New York, favorite Chris Reeves: 3:43 place. They actually gave, what's the I'm sorry, what's the word for it? Paul J Daly: 3:49 Donate. Chris Reeves: 3:51 They donated. They donated, and I'm gonna wheelchair accessible. Paul J Daly: 3:54 Sorry. Oh, that kind of Van? Yes. They Chris Reeves: 3:57 gave a wheelchair accessible van to to a family of an eight year old student there in their community. So the last week, you know, we talked about, like, giving a van to an entire Paul J Daly: 4:05 program, right? Be sure that take them to camp. Yes, that was amazing. People get going. Chris Reeves: 4:10 But this, this particular story, zooms in on one kid, one child. Jacob Miller, is his name, and he's, he's a, he's a bright kid. He was diagnosed with a muscular dystrophy that, like, took away his ability to walk on his own, unassisted, right? And that has come, of course, for a family with a lot of complications. I mean, you're talking about now your your daughters have friends, and you're driving around like it's a whole it's a whole other Paul J Daly: 4:36 thing. It's life changing forever. Chris Reeves: 4:39 Yes, yes, so West her, they, they saw the problem. They they jumped in. And now, you know, Jacob's eight year old, eight years old now, but he already has big aspirations for, like, going to engineer College. And I'm like, Yeah, bro, you'll be able to now, without, without stress. You know, um, Christy actually wrote this one up. And I love the. Thing that she wrote at the very end. You know, for Jacob and his family, this van means fewer obstacles, more independence and the ability to chase big goals without waiting for a ride. Because there are, there are public options for someone. Oh, I've seen you see him around all the time, yeah, but, but this is beautiful man like this kid will be able to chase his dreams so much more fervently. His parents will be able to provide with more confidence and stability for these even the little things. I mean, kids going to get invited to birthday parties, and it's going to be Paul J Daly: 5:29 so much easier. No, you think about the kids, but, but the real reality isn't anyone who has kids, and especially anyone who has kid, kids who have special needs, whether that's a physical need, a mental, emotional need, when there's a special need involved, it changes the whole family dynamic forever, yeah, and it adds a layer of complexity on the parents lives that you just will never understand until you have it And and so like, Yes, what's his name again? Oh, Jacob, Jacob. Jacob is gonna, like, be able to roll around and have this but I think the bigger impact is on Jacob's parents, who now don't have to handle this complexity. And you know, what Jacob needs most isn't a ride. Jacob needs his parents to feel like they have something to give him. And I feel like that's really what the van has given is given his parents the ability to now give some of that emotional energy that it takes to try to constantly figure out transportation and the cost of it, back to Jacob. And yeah, I'm excited, Jacob. I mean, you're probably not listening to this, but we got big plan for you, man. Big hopes, huge plans. Yeah, engineering, you can build something great. Chris Reeves: 6:43 Yeah, yeah. I mean, that's the thing like this. This fellow might be the one who makes it so that we don't need handicap accessible vans anymore. Oh, my God, a little more accessible, right? Paul J Daly: 6:52 Okay, Jacob, I have a list of things. So you're eight years old and I'm 46 so we, we're gonna give you a solid 25 years to accomplish this, because that that only puts me at like 7071, right? So I'll give you 25 years. I this is part of my, this is part of my, my dream. And what I think that, like this young generation and AI and all these robotics, we're not going to have the issues. Chris, where, well, Jacob's got to make sure this, but we're not going to have the issues. Sorry, Jacob. I mean, we're putting this all on you. You might, you might give the van back after this, right? Like, I didn't know there were obligations attached to this van, but, but I keep telling my kids like, no, no, I'm going to be so mobile all throughout, like, my 70s, 80s, 90s, one hundreds. I'm going to have my little robotic exoskeleton that's gonna be walking me around. I'm gonna get in and out of vehicles. Like, my there's none of this. Like, oh, they lost their license. They can't get get around anymore. Jacob, I have hopes you're gonna, you're gonna do some of these things. Chris Reeves: 7:51 Yeah, I'm for it. Yeah, you're just gonna, Robo jog down to the hearties to get your burger. Robo Paul J Daly: 7:56 jog, right? You're still not burning any calories, but you feel like, but you feel like you're doing something. Chris Reeves: 8:01 Yeah, I, you know Jacob, my I have a request too, but mine's significantly simpler than Paul. I just want desks that are as ergonomic as drum sets. I just wanted a desk that feels like sitting at a drum set, because I do my best work at a drum set and my worst work at a desk. So I really use a blend. Paul J Daly: 8:20 I feel like that's a harder sell. I mean, is it, I don't know that anyone's working to solve that problem. Jacob. Might. Jacob might, right. You're like, this is easy way to set him up. Way to set him up. Is there anyone else mentioned in this, anyone from the West, her organization, or a town or city, anything else, Chris Reeves: 8:37 not, I mean, not specifically, but the West, her West hairs that their organization. It just, it kind of highlights how this is not a one off. Oh, of course not. Why? No, I know they are. They are. They are as experienced with meeting these specific stories, where they are as they are with just moving metal. Quote, Paul J Daly: 8:57 unquote. Do we have a picture? There's a picture in the article? Probably, yeah, there's Chris Reeves: 9:00 a picture in the article. Paul J Daly: 9:02 I mean, it's, it's a, does it look like an engineer? Chris Reeves: 9:06 You know, bro, I don't. I don't know what you mean by that, but Paul J Daly: 9:10 what does the general Gen Alpha engineer look like? He's Gen Alpha. I think Chris Reeves: 9:15 Nike t shirt. That's Paul J Daly: 9:17 right. Nailed it on it. Yeah, Nike t shirt and some crocs. Well, listen, if this ever makes its way to you, we are your biggest fans. We will help you however, we can super grateful to our friends at West Herr for pushing the industry forward in this way, doing the thing that we all want to do, which is serve each other more. Have a great Labor Day, everybody. Unknown: 9:42 You