FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: info@drivetowardacure.org
MOTORSPORTS BROADCASTING LEGEND BOB VARSHA TO CHAMPION PARKINSON’S AT DRIVE TOWARD A CURE’S “TAKE A DRIVE WITH KEVIN” WEEKEND
National non-profit Drive Toward a Cure brings together rare Italian sportscars, motorsports personalities, and a scenic North Georgia drive November 13–14 to honor beloved automotive PR veteran Kevin Smith while helping others living with Parkinson’s.
Remembered for his love of cars, generous spirit, and enduring connections across the automotive world, Kevin Smith was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s disease in 2018. In his honor, Drive Toward a Cure® will host ‘Take a Drive with Kevin’ November 13–14, 2026, in the Atlanta area—a tribute and fundraiser bringing together friends and automotive enthusiasts to celebrate Kevin’s life and legacy while supporting Emory’s Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence and Drive Toward a Cure’s ‘Special Assistance’ grant fund, which helps people and families facing challenging circumstances while living with Parkinson’s.
Kevin Smith, a longtime automotive public relations professional and passionate car enthusiast, built lasting friendships throughout the automotive community. His legacy lives on through ‘Take a Drive with Kevin’, a November 13–14, 2026, tribute hosted by Drive Toward a Cure® that brings the community together through cars, camaraderie, and a shared commitment to supporting people living with Parkinson’s.
Bob Varsha, renowned motorsports broadcaster and longtime voice of Formula One in the United States, will join Drive Toward a Cure®’s ‘Take a Drive with Kevin’ tribute and fundraiser in Atlanta, November 13–14, 2026. Bringing decades of motorsports knowledge and storytelling to the gathering, Varsha will lead a Friday evening conversation celebrating Kevin Smith, automotive heritage, and the community’s commitment to supporting people living with Parkinson’s.
Ivan Ruiz’s 1961 Maserati 3500 GT will be featured during the Friday evening reception on November 13 at Ferrari of Atlanta, part of Drive Toward a Cure®’s ‘Take a Drive with Kevin’ tribute. Ruiz, globally recognized as a leading Maserati collector who has had more than 75 models through the years, will join motorsports broadcaster Bob Varsha for a conversation celebrating automotive heritage, camaraderie, and Kevin Smith’s enduring connections to the automotive world—all in support of people living with Parkinson’s.
Federico Sceriffo’s Ferrari 599, featuring Drive Toward a Cure® branding, will be on display during the Friday evening reception on November 13 at Ferrari of Atlanta. Sceriffo, a professional Formula Drift driver and Drive Toward a Cure brand ambassador, will join the Atlanta-area tribute honoring Kevin Smith and demonstrating how the automotive community can make a meaningful difference for people living with Parkinson’s.
Wolf Mountain Vineyards & Winery will host the Saturday, November 14, portion of Drive Toward a Cure®’s ‘Take a Drive with Kevin’ tribute. Participants will enjoy a private car collection tour with vintner and owner Karl Boegner, a wine tasting, and a visit to Boegner’s Rock ’n’ Roll Bar and Guitar Hall of Fame—all in celebration of Kevin Smith’s life and legacy. Registration is open: drivetowardacure.org/day/kevin2026
ATLANTA, GA — October 15, 2026 — Legendary motorsports broadcaster Bob Varsha, whose distinctive voice has brought Formula One, Le Mans and some of the world’s greatest racing moments into American homes for more than four decades, will help kick off Drive Toward a Cure’s “Take a Drive with Kevin” weekend, November 13–14. The two-day celebration will bring together Ferraris, Maserati’s, Porsches, motorsports personalities and automotive enthusiasts for cars, camaraderie and a cause. Registration is open at: www.drivetowardacure.org/day/kevin2026.
The weekend opens Friday, November 13, with a special reception at Ferrari of Atlanta, where Varsha will lead a conversation celebrating the life and legacy of beloved automotive public relations veteran Kevin Smith, alongside guests from the motorsports and Parkinson’s communities. The evening will feature an impressive display of Italian sportscars, including globally recognized Maserati collector Ivan Ruiz’s vintage 1961 Maserati 3500 GT and the distinctive Ferrari 599 Formula Drift race car of professional driver and Drive Toward a Cure Brand Ambassador Federico Sceriffo.
On Saturday, November 14, the celebration moves from the showroom to the open road. Enthusiasts will gather at Ride Lounge in Midtown Atlanta for a guided drive through the scenic North Georgia foothills to Wolf Mountain Vineyards, featuring a tour of the private automobile collection of the winery’s owner and winemaker Karl Boegner, an exquisite tasting and lunch. Both Varsha and 2025 FIA World Endurance Champion Ryan Hardwick will join the gathering and share a few words in support of the occasion.
Together, both events celebrate the automobiles and friendships that defined Kevin’s life while raising funds to help others living with Parkinson’s disease.
A COMMUNITY THAT CAME TOGETHER FOR KEVIN
For decades, Kevin Smith was one of the automotive industry’s most respected and beloved public relations professionals, representing brands including Saab, Lotus, Cadillac and Genesis. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Kevin was known for the friendships he built and the warmth he brought to the automotive community.
Diagnosed with Young-Onset Parkinson’s in 2018, Kevin eventually returned to Atlanta, where Drive Toward a Cure helped connect him with Emory University’s Parkinson’s Foundation Center of Excellence and a growing community of support.
When Drive Toward a Cure learned that Kevin was facing increasing health challenges, isolation and financial hardship, the organization launched “Everyone Needs a Kevin,” a grassroots fundraising initiative through LinkedIn. The global automotive community responded immediately, raising more than $15,000 in just three days to help provide transportation to and from Emory, essential patient-care needs and a specially designed hospital-style bed that offered medical support without making his apartment feel like a hospital room.
But the compassion extended far beyond financial assistance.
On a cold, rainy Sunday shortly before Christmas, when Kevin could no longer attend the car shows he loved and had increasingly limited mobility and speech, 23 vintage and exotic cars and their owners arrived at his senior living community. One by one, they pulled beneath the porte-cochère, giving Kevin, seated in his wheelchair, a personal walk-around of each automobile.
It was a powerful reminder of what the automotive community does best: taking care of one of its own.
Kevin passed away on November 11, 2025. Now, nearly one year later, that same community is gathering again to celebrate his life and extend that spirit of care to others.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13 — AN EVENING OF ITALIAN SPORTSCARS, MOTORSPORTS LEGENDS AND CHAMPIONS FOR PARKINSON’S
The weekend begins with a special welcome reception from 4:30–6:30 p.m. at Ferrari of Atlanta, featuring exceptional automobiles and personalities representing the spirit of Drive Toward a Cure’s “Legends of Motorsports, Champions FOR Parkinson’s™” initiative.
Among the reception’s highlights will be Bob Varsha, one of America’s most recognizable motorsports commentators, whose career has spanned Formula One, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, endurance racing and the Barrett-Jackson collector car auctions. An Atlanta-area resident and 2017 Atlanta Concours d’Elegance honoree, Varsha will guide a conversation honoring Kevin and exploring the connection between the automotive community and those living with Parkinson’s.
Guests will also view the rare 1961 Maserati 3500 GT belonging to collector Ivan Ruiz, and is an example of Maserati’s first production vehicle. Additionally, the striking, DTaC-branded Ferrari 599 Formula Drift race car of Italian professional driver and Atlanta resident Federico Sceriffo, will be shown along with some video highlighting his incredible professional drifting abilities.
Sceriffo has carried Drive Toward a Cure’s Parkinson’s awareness message to racetracks nationwide. His participation is especially meaningful in Atlanta, where a 2023 collaboration with Pennzoil at Formula Drift’s Road Atlanta event helped raise funds for Emory’s Parkinson’s program.
Joining the conversation will be Dr. Stewart Factor, DO, Director of Emory’s Jean and Paul Amos Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Program, and Drive Toward a Cure Board Member Derek Torry, who has been living with Young-Onset Parkinson’s and was a close friend and source of support to Kevin during his final year.
Drive Toward a Cure’s relationship with Emory spans several years, with nearly $60,000 contributed through the generosity of Atlanta’s automotive community to support Parkinson’s research and patient care.
The reception will celebrate Kevin’s legacy while highlighting how community support can make a difference for those facing Parkinson’s.
Friday reception: $50 per guest donation.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14 — TAKE A DRIVE WITH KEVIN
On Saturday, the celebration moves to the road for a day reflecting Kevin’s lifelong enthusiasm for cars and the friendships they inspire.
Participants will gather at 8:00 a.m. at Ride Lounge in Midtown Atlanta, an exclusive automotive social club, before departing at 9:15 a.m. for a guided drive through the scenic foothills of North Georgia.
The destination is Wolf Mountain Vineyards, where owner, chief winemaker and Porsche enthusiast Karl Boegner will welcome guests for a private automobile collection tour, wine tasting and lunch featuring flatbread pizza. The experience will also include a visit to the property’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Bar – Guitar Hall of Fame.
2025 FIA World Endurance Champion Ryan Hardwick will join the gathering at Wolf Mountain, adding another celebrated motorsports personality to a weekend dedicated to cars, friendship and purpose.
The Wolf Mountain program runs from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Saturday registration: $350 per driver and car. Additional passengers: $75 each. Space is limited.
DRIVING KEVIN’S LEGACY FORWARD
For Drive Toward a Cure, the weekend reflects the organization’s belief that a shared passion for automobiles can create meaningful change.
Proceeds will support Drive Toward a Cure’s ‘Special Assistance’ Grant Fund, providing direct assistance to individuals and families living with Parkinson’s, and Emory University’s Jean and Paul Amos Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Program, supporting Parkinson’s research and patient care in the Atlanta community.
“Kevin spent his career bringing people together, and when Parkinson’s changed his life, that community came together for him,” said Deb Pollack, founder of Drive Toward a Cure. “This weekend brings together extraordinary people and automobiles, but what makes it truly special is the purpose behind it. We’re celebrating Kevin through the things he loved most — cars, friendship and camaraderie — while helping others who face the same challenges. Because, as we discovered, everyone really does need a Kevin.”
ABOUT DRIVE TOWARD A CURE
Drive Toward a Cure is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that blends cars and camaraderie to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson’s disease. Founded in 2016, the organization has raised more than $1.5 million to support research, patient care, educational outreach, and its own Access to Care, Special Assistance, and Family Fund grant programs through distinctive automotive and lifestyle experiences nationwide.
For more information, visit www.drivetowardacure.org.
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