A young man with a love of cars approached a man driving his favourite one and asked if he could sit in it, the moment changed his life as a community came together.
Johannesburg, South Africa – It takes courage to approach a stranger and ask a favour, Keown Kandasamy a 17-year-old Hyde Park High School, did just this.
While visiting his dad at work in Sandton, he saw his favourite car parked in the office parking lot and decided to be brave. He was struck by inspiration and sat near the car to write a letter. In his letter, he expressed his love for the car and politely asked if it would be possible to go for a ride or even just sit in it. He even offered to pay for the opportunity.
“You know every person has a dream, a dream that they wish will come true someday and every man has a dream car, a car they dream of owning someday. Sometimes that dream may just be a small drive. Sir/Ma’am, the Renault Megane R.S. happens to be my dream car”
“I know it sounds insane because you don’t know me, but please give it a thought and maybe a chance”
While Keown was sitting there admiring the car, he was surprised to see the owner walk over.
Ben Pillay, the owner of Keown’s dream car was taken aback when the young man handed him the letter. He took the time to read the letter and promised he would take Keown for a spin as soon as traffic had died down and he had permission from his father.
Ben then shared the letter on the Facebook group ‘Renault Owners South Africa’ to show them where dreams start.
“It reminded me of the first time I saw an RS way back in 2005. I bought my first one a couple of months later. I think we get very used to driving these French beasts every day and sometimes I certainly forget how lucky I am.”
The group members were inspired by the letter and the courage it took for Keown to ask such a massive favour. Angi Lizemore, a sales executive for the brand, saw the post and sent it along to Wayne van der Merwe, who works in the marketing department at the head office.
They arranged a fantastic day for Keown. A convoy of Megane R.S. cars pulled up outside his school, and they handed over a few branded goodies to the superfan. A small moment turned into an inspirational one and didn’t hurt Keown’s reputation at school either!
“The back story of this young man tugged at my heartstrings as I learnt he really needed to be reminded that magic still exists. Today our wonderful team at HO welcomed this young man as he came out of school with a few Renault goodies and a convoy of his dream car. A picture speaks a thousand words as you can see by his face, but it is exactly what we live for at Renault, its more than just a car brand, it’s a passion for life” – Angi Lizemore
A community of car lovers played their part to make a humble moment a memorable one.
Keown will never forget the time he took a chance, and it paid off. The Renault community too will be inspired by this for the rest of their lives. Many are now looking to do more good, even if it means just driving someone around the block.
The two people who started this, have inspired hundreds of South Africans to play their part!
Play Your Part is a nationwide movement created to inspire, empower and celebrate active citizenship in South Africa. Its objective is to lift the spirit of our nation by inspiring all South Africans to contribute to positive change, become involved and start doing – because a nation of people who care deeply for one another and the environment in which they live is good for everyone. The campaign is driven by the Brand South Africa.
Play Your Part is aimed at all South Africans – from corporates to individuals, NGOs to government, churches to schools, young to not so young. It aims to encourage South Africans to use some of their time, money, skills or goods to contribute to a better future for all.
There are numerous opportunities, big and small, for each and every South African to make a positive difference in the communities in which they live and operate. Play Your Part encourages them to act on these opportunities.
For more information on how you can play your part click here #GetInvolved #PlayYourPart
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