Cars for Smiles Barcelona – May 4, 2025

Last Sunday, May 4th, a special and moving event took place, leaving an unforgettable memory in the lives of teenagers and their families who face diverse challenges daily. In collaboration with institutions such as Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Fundación Ànima, Fundación Johan Cruyff, Fundación HM Obra Social Nens, and Fundación Som Via, who facilitated the registration of their patients, a group of 41 young people had the opportunity to experience an unforgettable day as co-pilots in high-end vehicles at the Kini MX Motorpark circuit in Castellolí.

Thanks to the participation of the drivers, €7,300 was raised for the Johan Cruyff Foundation’s Wheelchair Tennis project.

The opening ceremony was held in the elegant setting of the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona hotel, where participants were welcomed to begin the accreditation process. The first surprise for the co-pilots was the presentation of two very special gifts: a Spanish National Automobile Team jersey from the FIA Motorsport Games Spanish team, and a license issued by the Royal Spanish Automobile Federation (RFEDA) to honor the co-pilots with special recognition highlighting their courage and determination, all thanks to the collaboration framework signed by RFEDA with Cars For Smiles. We also had two ambassadors from Team Spain at the FIA Motor Sport Games: their captain and former co-pilot Luis Moya, and professional driver Eric Gené.

Luis Moya addressed the young co-pilots through a recorded video message, in which, “as a fellow professional,” he provided some tips for co-driving during the event, in addition to offering words of motivation. Eric Gené took to the stage where he shared his career in the world of racing, recounted some anecdotes, and explained how he mentally prepares for races and difficult situations. We also had driver Marcos Menkes, who shared his experience in the racing world. Marcos also participated behind the wheel throughout the event, accompanied by a co-pilot.

It was a true honor and privilege to have these motor racing professionals at our event. Thank you very much!

The owners of the supercars were also accredited and received a distinctive plaque for their vehicles, marking the Cars for Smiles Rally 2025, courtesy of collaborator AURA Identidad Visual. In addition, all participants received a bag with welcome gifts.

Inside the main hall of the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona hotel, there was a slot car track, courtesy of collaborator SlotGarraf, featuring a scale replica of the iconic Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Thus, while some enjoyed the varied breakfast options, others chose to “take a spin on the track.” Furthermore, two Maserati vehicles commemorating their 110th anniversary (1914-2024) were displayed on the main stage. The two “trident” units present were a 1969 Maserati Mexico, a very exclusive unit with only 458 units produced and bearing its original license plate, and, on the other side, a latest-generation Maserati Grecale Trofeo model, courtesy of Maserati Quadis Gallery, a unit that also participated in the event with its corresponding co-pilot.

The opening ceremony was led by the president and founder of Cars for Smiles, Martijn Elvers, along with the new regional manager of Hilton Iberia Peninsula and director of the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona hotel, Mr. Roger Brantsma.

Following this, a video of the “Visit to Quadis Gallery” event was presented, which took place on February 7th with a group of co-pilots at the Quadis Gallery facilities in Barcelona, as a thank you for the fantastic collaboration between Quadis Gallery (and its official dealerships for Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati) and Cars for Smiles.

Special thanks also to the exclusive watch brand Officine Panerai. For the third consecutive year, Panerai chose Cars for Smiles as a winning project. The prize will be distributed among the winning projects chosen at the various Cars for Smiles events throughout 2025. Grazie mille Panerai!

A word of thanks also to driver Mr. Mark Rawlins, who came especially from Malaga to participate with his Aston Martin DB9GT Bond Edition. Being unit number 10 of only 150 units produced, it is one of the most exclusive participating vehicles. Mark has participated in several editions of Cars for Smiles in Barcelona, and for this occasion, he gifted all the co-pilots a personalized shirt dedicated to his car and special agent James Bond, 007. Many thanks, Mark!

The opening ceremony continued with the director of volunteers at Hospital Sant Juan de Déu, Ms. Mireia Espinet Gimeno, winners with their My-Room project at the Cars for Smiles Barcelona 2024 edition. Mireia explained how they invested the donation money from last year and all the activities carried out.

Next, the director of Fundación Ànima, Ms. Olga Adell Fite, took to the stage, accompanied by doctors Luis Miguel Martín and Santiago Battle from Hospital del Mar Barcelona, also winners at the Cars for Smiles 2024 Barcelona edition with their project to improve the mental health unit within the hospital. The three explained how the spaces have been transformed into much more pleasant areas, which provide very important emotional support for patients.

More information about the winning projects and their events can be found on our website: www.carsforsmiles.org.

The winning project of Cars for Smiles Barcelona 2025 was the “Wheelchair Tennis” project by the Johan Cruyff Foundation. The deputy director, Sander Waare, accompanied by the project coordinator José Coronado, explained what this project entails and the importance of promoting sports for young people with disabilities and creating that possibility through their project by incorporating schools so that these young people can participate in extracurricular activities. As the foundation states: “We continue what Johan started.”

After this, the most anticipated moment for the co-pilots arrived: the team assignments. Each co-pilot was paired with a vehicle and its driver, forming teams that would remain together for the rest of the activities. The vehicles and teams prepared to depart, and after an exciting transfer to the Kini MX Motorpark circuit in Castellolí, the young co-pilots had the opportunity to experience the adrenaline of speed and the thrill of driving the circuit from the inside. Previously, the car drivers received instructions on the track layout from Cars for Smiles and the circuit team, information that had also been provided during the opening ceremony, for the safety of all participants.

For this ninth edition of Cars for Smiles in Barcelona, we had the excellent collaboration of Kini MX Motorpark, a complex dedicated to motorcycling and motorsport. It has several tracks and types of layouts for both races and driving tests and schools: a 4×4 track, a skidpad, a large and small circuit for the school, a motocross track, and a karting track. The main 4.1 km long circuit was the star of the event. Acceleration tests were done in pairs, followed by sessions in groups of 10 cars, always with the circuit’s safety car leading the way and a control car from the Cars for Smiles team closing the group.

The day continued with lunch at the circuit, prepared by the Catering La Bambina team, where participants and volunteers shared stories, dreams, and hopes while enjoying a paella. The festive atmosphere was filled with camaraderie and solidarity, creating bonds that will last far beyond the event.

At the end of the day, thanks to the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona hotel, an awards ceremony and the official closing of the event took place. A meal at Puro Beach, provided by the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona hotel, and automotive-style gifts contributed by brands such as Motorsol Gallery (Bentley Barcelona and Lamborghini Barcelona), Quadis Gallery (Aston Martin Barcelona, Maserati Quadis Gallery, and Ferrari Barcelona) were raffled.

Before departing, the teams had the opportunity to collect their printed photos from the morning, courtesy of the T&T Gestión Patrimonial team, who took the photographs and quickly prepared a leaflet for each team.

The event not only offered a day of fun and excitement but also provided the participating teenagers with a valuable reminder of their inner strength and the unconditional support of their community. On Mother’s Day, a very emotional mother commented on how she had seen her son transform through smiles and with renewed energy, thanks to the Cars for Smiles experience.

The collaborators and sponsors of this edition are the Hilton Diagonal Mar Barcelona hotel, Circuit Kini MX Motorpark de Castellolí, Royal Spanish Automobile Federation, Aston Martin Barcelona, Bentley Barcelona, Official Ferrari Dealer Quadis Gallery Barcelona, Lamborghini Barcelona, Maserati Quadis Gallery, DME GTCLUB, Grupo Valverde, Events & Technology Production, Integra Cars, Integra Serveis, Masa i Masa Seguros, Aquila Films, Stinger Spain, Kimoa, T&T Gestión Patrimonial, Aston Martin Owners Club Spain, Royal Detail Luxury Car Detailing, Porsche Club España, Funtastic events, Avidalia, Torelló Viticultors, Slot del Garraf, Aura Identidad Visual, Gràfiques Voisin-Mateu, Pere Nubiola Photography, Volte.earth, Classic Car Owners Madrid, and Klasse Xperience.

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