At just 10 years old, young Chevy Kite is already doing what he can to help make the world a better place.
A recent visit to the Brisbane Truck Show in May, with his grandmother Sharon Kite, and a chance encounter with well-known truck driver Ben Stamatovich, who shares his travels through his photography page The Drone Way, has left a lasting impact on Chevy – who has since started his own Facebook page.
He launched the page, with the support of his parents Rowena and Jayde Kite, on May 24, just three days after the truck show, promoting the message #WeStandTogether. And in such a short time, Chevy has made quite the mark, as he shares his own personal story, including his struggles with bullying.
Rowena says Chevy is always willing to give anything a go. “Chevy is very outgoing and energetic. He will jump in and try his hardest to accomplish something new. He is such a great kid with a caring heart. Everyone he meets comments on how well-mannered and respectful he is too.”
Jayde added that he loves “anything with an engine” – from trucks, cars and quad bikes, along with BMX riding, skate parks and Xbox.
His love of trucks started quite early on, sparked by his grandparents. “It all started when his granddad came over with his concrete truck when Chevy was a young whipper snapper. He took him for a drive and Chevy fell in love,” explained Rowena.
Chevy’s been collecting model trucks ever since. “At the local markets, we found a gentleman selling timber trucks and Chevy would purchase one as a reward for doing well with his schoolwork. What really took it to the next level was meeting Ben from The Drone Way at the Brisbane Truck Show,” Jayde added. “They had an instant connection.”
The couple described Chevy’s encounter with Ben in just two words: “life changing”.
Though Chevy had visited a number of local trucking events, he had never seen anything that was anywhere near as big at the Brisbane Truck Show. “He was so excited when he came home. He had a goodie bag filled with books and pictures. The photo with Ben was his highlight, along with the photo with Little Trucker magazine, the list goes on,” said Rowena.
“Chevy was watching a video of Ben while on the way to the show and was hooked straight away. He wasn’t even sure he’d get the chance to see Ben, but was just excited to go and look at the trucks.
“When Chevy met Ben, he took the photo and went on his way. It was later on that Ben came and found Chevy to catch up and see how the day went. Ben felt a strong connection to Chevy. Ben then asked if he could do a post on his page as Chevy made quite an impact on him. Then things have just taken off from there.”
Rowena says Chevy and Ben formed an instant bond. “To start with Ben couldn’t connect the dots as to why Chevy and him had such a strong bond. But a few days after the post on Ben’s The Drone Way page, we thanked him for doing what he did and taking the time to have a photo with Chevy; and explained that he had been struggling with bullying. That was the confirmation Ben needed to make the link as to why he felt so strongly towards Chevy.”
After Ben’s initial Facebook post about Chevy, Jayde and Rowena were inundated with heartfelt phone calls and messages from those in the trucking community, with many offering to take him for a ride in their truck.
“That’s why we thought it would be awesome to start Chevy’s own page so we could post all of these experiences and keep everyone updated with what he’d been doing. Then fan mail started rolling in too, so we’ve been posting also to show our thanks and appreciation,” Jayde added.
As this story was written, just a few short weeks after Chevy launched his page, he’s already had numerous truckies take him for a spin in their trucks and has had plenty of truck merchandise sent his way too.
Sadly, Chevy and his parents know the consequences of bullying all too well, but thanks to the incredible support he’s received, this young star has got his confidence back.
“We are still struggling daily with the aftereffects from bullying but Chevy has got his smile back. He is just so much more responsive and happy. He has a stronger carefree attitude towards his bullies,” said Rowena.
“If it wasn’t for the recent support from Ben and the trucking industry we wouldn’t be getting our strong and confident Chevy back – we are so thankful to them.
“Thank you Ben for taking the time to share a moment with Chevy, which has changed his world for the better. We cannot thank the trucking industry enough for their ongoing support through wonderful messages and gifts. To see Chevy smile when he reads the words of encouragement and the surprise on his face when trucks start rolling up to take him for a drive. To take a stand against bullying and to get everyone’s voice out there is truly going to be an amazing journey. To help save a child or adult from bullying is such a gift. To help a bully realise and stop will be a blessing.”
And who knows, maybe one day we’ll see Chevy behind the wheel of his own big rig too. “We have always told Chevy he can be whatever he wants to be – to never limit himself to only what he thinks he can do, but to set his mind to what he wants to do. And he says he wants to be a truckie.”