Over here at Cash for Cars, we love anything that has to do with automotives.

But even more than

that, we love hearing about random acts of kindnessyou know, those heartwarming stories that
make you tear up with a determination to be a better person. We didnt think anything could be
better than that until we heard about some inspiring stories that involved our favorite topic of
discussioncars! Weve rounded up 7 stories about a few kind strangers guaranteed to tug on your
heart strings. So go ahead. Grab a tissue. (We wont judge.)
Strangers Give New Car to Man Who Walks Every Day to Work
Meet James Robertson. Hes a 56-year-old Michigan resident who works at a factory in Rochester
Hills. His story is a unique onefor the past decade, hes walked 21 miles a day just to get to work.
In 2005, his car quit on him, and unfortunately, he didnt have the funds to replace it and keep up
with the insurance. So, he took to walking. Even though his days are insanely longhe leaves home
at 8 a.m. and returns around 4 a.m.hes never missed a day of work.
Robertsons story caught the attention of Wayne State University student Evan Leedy. Leedy created
a GoFundMe page for Robertson in hopes of earning enough money to buy him a car. His goal was
to raise $25,000within just a few short days, complete and total strangers had raised $62,000 for
Robertson. Today, the total amount runs around $350,000 thanks to the donations of over 13,000
strangers. After the story gained national interest, a local car company offered to let Robertson pick
out any new car he wanted, for free. The money raised by Leedy was still given to Robertson to help
with gas, insurance, and maintenance costs. James Robertsons lifeand his commutewas forever
changed by the kindness of strangers.
Jay Leno Surprises Wounded Vet with New Car
Jay Leno decided he wanted to show his appreciation for Americas military, so he made a lottery of
a number of wounded soldiers and picked one at random. His plan was to do something nice for the
soldier. The name drawn from the lottery belonged to Corporal Ethan Laberge, who was seriously
injured after a suicide bomber detonated himself right next to Laberge and two fellow soldiers. Leno
met up with Laberge and quickly discovered their mutal love of cars. Leno decided to take Laberge
for spin in a 2015 Dodge SRT Hellcat. After the joyride, Leno handed Laberge the keys and said
Its yours. America loves you. Talk about a thank you!
Son of Fallen Deputy Given His Fathers Squad Car
Tanner and Chase Brownlee faced tragedy in 2010 when their father, Deputy Sam Brownlee, was
killed in the line of duty. Five years later, the Sheriffs office decided to auction off his patrol car to
help raise money for an organization that helps victims of fallen law enforcement officers. Tanner
and Chase desperately wanted to bid on the carit was their fathers most prized possessionso
they set up a GoFundMe page to raise money. At the auction, however, Tanner was outbid by a
local farmer who bought the car for $60k even though the car was only worth $12.5k. Tanner
didnt expect what happened next. The farmer promptly handed the keys over to Tanner. For
Tanner and Chase Brownlee, having their fathers car is a way to honor him and his memory and the
kindness of a stranger will forever live with them.
Ellen Degeneres Shocks Military Wife with New Car and Visit from Her Husband
Chris Banford is a member of the U.S. Military, and when he realized he would miss his 10 year
anniversary with his wife due to an army training 6 hours away from home, he teamed up with Ellen
Degeneres to give Mary, his wife, the surprise of a lifetime. While Chris was in Missouri for training,
Mary was home in Oklahoma with their two sons. Even though the drive wasnt terribly far, Mary

wasnt comfortable driving the six hours to her husbands army base, because their car was in pretty
bad shape and she wasnt sure it would make the journey.
Mary was a huge Ellen fan, and one day she had the opportunity to attend a live taping of The Ellen
Show. While sitting in the audience, Marys husband called into the show. After Ellen spoke with him
for a few minutes, she called Mary up to the stage. She asked her a few questions about her life, her
sons, her husband, and her car. Ellen shocked Mary by telling her that she needed to go visit her
husbandin her new Ford Escape. Mary was ecstatic. But Ellens surprise wasnt over out came
Chris from backstage with a bouquet of flowers and the keys to the Escape in hand. A new car, a
surprise visit from a military husband, and fancy dinner reservations for two made for an anniversary
the Banfords will never forget.

Memphis Grizzlies Buy Car for the Intern Who Had His Stolen
Brandon Henderson, an intern for the Memphis Grizzlies, was in a bind when he found out his car
had been stolen. He was on a date in downtown Memphis when he came back to his parking spot,
but his 1993 Chrysler New Yorker was nowhere to be found. Even though Brandon didnt tell many
people about the missing car, the team somehow found out anyway. With Christmas just around the
corner, NBA veteran Vince Carter and the Grizzlies decided that Brandon deserved a gift to
remember. The players banded together to buy Brandon a new car. Brandon was overcome with
emotion when the team presented him with the surprise.

OKC Thunder Player Gives Car to Single Mother

When Russell Westbrook of the OKC Thunder won the title of 2015 All-Star Game VIP, he also
won a car. Instead of keeping it for himself, he decided hed rather donate it to someone in need. A
local charity recommended a 19-year-old single mother named Kerstin Gonzales.
Gonzalez was forced to become an adult when she became pregnant at age 14 with her first son,
Matthew. Although she was on assistance from Sunbeam Family Services, she didnt have a reliable
car and often had to borrow vehicles from family and friends just to get to work, school, or to pick
up her sons. With school, work, college applications, and two little boys to support and raise,
Gonzalez certainly had a lot on her hands. Westbrook was determined to help Gonzales and
commend her for the hard work she put into raising her family. He wanted her to know that
everything would be okay. When he presented Gonzalez with the keys, she was overcome with
emotion and gratitude. Westbrook may be a big player on the court, but off the court hes got a big
heart.