Singer Wants to Set Things Right for Car Contest Competitors

Chris Medina was happy to see his family friend win a much-needed car in December. The Ferralez family had been through a tough time, with a young daughter battling cancer and parents missing work to be with her.

The community turned out in droves online to support them, with votes in their favor tallying upwards of 10,000. But their competitors were just as deserving, Medina feels, and now the international recording artist and former American Idol contestant wants a chance to help them, too.

In a campaign called, “Making It Right: Everybody Wins,” Medina seeks donations to raise money to help four families purchase a car.

Among those families:

• a man whose life was upended by the abrupt departure of his wife with their three children. He has regained custody of them, but has no vehicle and no income. “I haven’t been able to find work because of the vehicle issue, and my family are about to lose our home. We have nothing, and this would mean the world to us,” said Johnathan Olesen. Hear his story.
• a daughter inspired by her mother’s selflessness and contributions to society, helping to build programs, playgrounds, and opportunities to those in the greatest need. From Ford Heights, Pembroke, Englewood, and even across the waters to Ghana, West Africa ... I have watched my mother become a mother of community!” Hear her story.
• a 20-year-old with hopes to bring great change to her community. She created a charity called the Community Closet, which has helped cloth and feed over 500 people to date and it’s only growing. ... She is constantly giving to others and this car would enable her to commute to school safely as well as allow her to expand her charity work by giving her a dependable car with wonderful mileage and storage space. Hear her story.
• a young mother in need of the car to help provide for her son. ”Winning this car would be a life changing event for me. It would literally be a miracle for my son and I.” Hear her story.

Medina hopes to raise $40,000 by March 5, jumpstarted by a $2,000 donation from Homewood Chevy, the dealership who provided the Ferralez with their car.

“It was indeed a bittersweet victory because four other very worthy contestants are still left in very unfortunate situations,” Medina wrote on the GoFundMe. “This means so much to me because I myself know what it is like to recieve help from others! I too was in a very unfortunate and unusal situation and recieved an outpoor of support and help! I want to pay it forward! Help me do this! ”

• Find the GoFundMe below, or here.