Silent sponsor helps Optimus Prime surprise children in Canada
Optimus and his driver cross into Canada just 2 months after their latest visit. All to surprise more Starlight children and offer words of encouragement.
Less than two months after partnering with Starlight Canada to bring some joy for the holidays, Optimus Prime and his driver returned to Canada to do it all over again.
But this time they had some extra help.
For over 30 years, Starlight Canada has been spreading joy to sick kids across the country through a unique blend of hospital to home programs designed for the whole family. Joe Fiduccia, Prime's owner and driver, partnered with them in December 2022 as part of a special event they hosted at various Toys R Us locations in Ontario.
As a result of the video and images that were shared from that experience, new funding from a silent sponsor became available, which presented Fiduccia with an opportunity to do the same thing for additional Starlight families.
"My contact at Starlight messaged me in January, stating a silent sponsor had come forward," he says. "Apparently they were so moved by what we had done in December, that they offered to pay for a return trip."
"I was blown away that our first visit to Canada after 3.5 years would have such a positive and viral impact. I never expected to return so soon."
Shocked at the news but also quite eager to make it happen, Fiduccia immediately began working with Starlight Canada to locate families in and around the lower Ontario region. Half a dozen individual children were finally awarded the opportunity to meet the Autobot leader.
Fiduccia spent the majority of January planning for the trip. He worked with each of the families ahead of time to coordinate the visit, review all of the logistics, timing, and ensure everyone's safety during each visit. Not to mention checking all routes in full detail to confirm Prime was able to reach the residential destinations.
"Driving Optimus on residential roads is tricky, and sometimes impossible," he tells us. "But we found a way to make it work for all of the families. What's cool is that none of the children knew we were coming. And that's exactly how I like it. Seeing their genuine surprise when we turn the corner in Optimus is the best feeling ever."
The trip was originally scheduled for the end of January. But winter weather postponed their visit by a few weeks. It wasn't until early February 2023 that Prime and Joe finally crossed the border.
Across the span of four days, Fiduccia drove Optimus over 900 miles roundtrip. He visited half-a-dozen families in southern Ontario, spending 20-30 minutes with each of them. He offered the children VIP treatment in the form of games, photoshoots, a view from the driver seat of Optimus, gifts, and signed items to keep.
In some cases, additional family members and friends were also present to enjoy the experience. Many of them actually shared with Joe how much they appreciated the surprise visit from Cybertron.
"The funding sponsor remained completely anonymous," says Fiduccia. "They are the reason I was able to come back into Canada, but I have no idea who it was. I wish I could thank them in person, but all I can do is hope I met and exceeded their expectations. Better yet I hope they smiled from their soul after seeing what we had done for those kids."
Fiduccia says he also could not have made the voyage without the additional help from Premier Truck Group of Hamilton.
"They offered me a safe haven to store Optimus Prime and clean him as needed. They were extremely hospitable and went the extra mile to meet me during non-business hours. Without a place to do this, we wouldn't have been able to make the journey. They stepped up in a big way, and I really appreciate their willingness to help me pull this off for the Starlight families. I hope I can visit the same region and do it all again real soon."
Team Prime would like to thank Kaitlin from Starlight Canada, the silent sponsor, Premier Truck Group of Hamilton, and all of the families for the opportunity to partner up for a great cause.
"In that short time, we created a positive memory for those families and kids that they will never, ever forget."
Fiduccia ended his interview with us by sharing one last request:
"I would love nothing more than to do visits like these and offer school presentations for kids all over North America and Canada. But I can't do it without funding. The further we go, the longer we are away, the more expensive it gets.
Our resources are limited, and the last thing I ever aim to do is take away from the already strained finances of the families, the schools, and any of the non-profit agencies. So I'm putting a request out there, asking for someone to come forward (either directly or anonymously) and help provide the funding we need to make these life-changing trips a reality for the kids and families who truly need it."
PLEASE NOTE: these VIP visits were done in partnership with Starlight Canada. We do NOT usually offer 1:1 experiences like these unless under special circumstances, or unless a non-profit and/or major funding sponsor is involved.
